419 - HESSEN - FRANKFURT Imperial City Under French Occupation, 1806

HESSEN - FRANKFURT Imperial City Under French Occupation, 1806 View of the old town on the Main River with its Imperial Cathedral of St. Bartholomew, a bridge, and a few boats sailing on the water. Reverse. Seven-line inscription: AUS DEN / GEFÆSEN / DER KIRCHEN UND / BURGER / DER STADT / FRANKFURT. and the date 1796. “From the vessels of the churches and citizens of the city of Frankfurt.” A laurel wreath around the edge. ♦ V.G. 508; Fr 1025 Gold “Contribution” ducat struck during the French occupation in 1796. (3.49 g) Slightly veiled die. Superb. These so-called “Contribution” ducats refer to the contribution paid to the French army when it occupied the city of Frankfurt for a month and a half in 1796. During the Napoleonic Wars, French troops led by General Jean-Baptiste Kléber laid siege to the city of Frankfurt. After intense bombardment, the city surrendered on July 16, 1796. French troops took seven councilors hostage and demanded six million francs in cash and two million in supplies. One-third of the ransom was to be paid within three days, and the remaining two-thirds within ten days each. To meet these demands, a public collection of precious metals was organized, and a large portion of the council’s silverware was melted down. The inscription on the reverse refers to the gold and silver vessels collected from churches and citizens to satisfy the demands of the occupying army. The French were defeated by Archduke Charles at Amberg on September 3 and left the city on September 8.