100 Franc Monaco Gold Charles III Prince of Monaco (1818-1889)

1882, Monaco, Prince Charles III. Gold 100 Francs. Mintage: 5,000pcs
Mint Year. 1882 Mintage: 5,000 pcs.
Mint Place: Paris (A) Denomination: 100 Francs
Friedberg 11, KM-99 (1st date for type with lowest mintage and highest valuation!). Material: Gold (.900) - 0.0334 oz. AGW Weight: 32.25gm Obverse: Head of Prince Charles III right. Legend: CHARLES III PRINCE DE MONACO Reverse: Crowned coat of arms behind two monks with swords, guarding shield with arms of the Principality of Monaco. Motto below. Legend: CENT FRANCS (privy mark: cornucopia) 1882) (Privy mark: fasces) Motto: DEO JUVANTE “Divide and Coquer!” Charles III (8 December 1818 – 10 September 1889) was Prince of Monaco and Duke of Valentinois from 20 June 1856 to his death. He was the founder of the famous casino in Monte Carlo, as his title in Monegasque and Italian was Carlo III. He was born in Paris Charles Honoré Grimaldi, the only son of Florestan I of Monaco and Maria Caroline Gibert de Lametz. Charles was married on 28 September 1846 in Brussels to Countess Antoinette de Mérode-Westerloo. He was succeeded by his son Albert I of Monaco. During his reign, the towns of Menton and Roquebrune, constituting some 80 percent of Monegasque territory, were formally ceded to France, paving the way for formal French recognition of Monaco’s independence. Under Charles III, the Principality of Monaco increased its diplomatic activities; for example, in 1864, Charles III concluded a Treaty of Friendship with the Bey of Tunis, Muhammad III as-Sadiq, which also regulated trade and maritime issues. He was the 182nd Grand Cross of the Order of the Tower and Sword. Monte Carlo is named after Charles III. It stands for the “Mount Charles” in Italian. In his middle years his sight greatly weakened, and by the last decade of his life he had become almost totally blind. He died at Château de Marchais.