Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-01-29
NAPOLECyIC LEGEND.
BELIEVE HE HID A
FORTL.;s IN a COIN.

Inc Little CORPORAL" Had Eincial Difficult
ties in His limo. Too-How He HIate an
Unpopular Currency observation-disclosures
of Acquiring Sudae:: wontth.
II you happen u have in your pos
session the particular French coin
known as 5-franc piece you may, I'M
Willingly be a millionaire.
Such at least is the belief shared by
hundreds upon hundreds OF credulous
Frenchmen and Frenchwomen, many
Of whom spend most Of their spare time
destroying quantities Of 5-franc pieces
in the hope of realizing fortune.
DR.. Marco Leonardo Nardez, the
well-known numIs1natist, and one of
the recognized authorities OF coin lore.
speaking of this curious condition of
affairs, said: 1T is quite true that half
France still believes in the existnee Of
great wealth hidden IN 5-frauc piece.
although many numsmatlcs hold that
the fortune in question WIS long ago
discovered and appropriated by one OF
the Rothschilds family
The story OF The strange 5-franc for
tune legend may he briefly told A s.
franc piece, to begin with, is silver
coin. and Is worth about 81. NSpo-
leon l. was very anxious to make the
coin popular one and with this end
in view he caused it to be circulated
everywhere throughout France that he
had inserted in one Of the silver
pieces, before it LETT the mint, a bank
note or order for 10000 III these
same five francs-i. q. for $1,000, 600.
Whether he really did this or 10, l
cannot say for certain, but the welght
Of evidence would seem to show that it
was done. In the manuscript memoirs
Of the Due de Feltie. Napoleon m:niste.
OF war, 1t is expressly stated thot the
emperor inclosed note on the BANK
OF France, duly signed by the COVER
nors Of that institution, i'll a spli, :
franc piece; that the halves weie then
welded together, partially reunited
and thrown In i.cap CT similar coins,
which the emperor mixed with lis own
hands: These coins Napoleon took with
him In Il bag when he went to Bou-
logne, and distributed lavlshly en-
route-even dropping scme Of them out
OF his carriage windows. In this way
1T was impossible t. kee., track of si!e
lucky coin.
"'rhe news OF tbs odd lottery spread
far and wide, ana me 5fvanc piece
leaped into ;nlm ed!ate favor. From
that day to this Tutila;.cn Of the
coin has been y0!.:.AoC in trance.
Switzerland ara EelS."~n ard else
where. livery year tie Eank ar
France is req :es,sd to make good
scores of pieces SPLIT IN a vain search
for the 5000. g0L-:::a1.c bark note.
There a. many Syogies-daaling with
reputed fi:.Gs III the fortune. Indeed,
when a man becomes suddenly rich in
France it is comrlon to hear pcoplc
whisper: Tiens. He must
nave found Napolacns famous coin,'
Some assert that the emperor kept the
coin himself, but this hardly agrees
with Napoleon character. SUI il
is current t:.aor, that some of the
money which enabled Napoleon III to
reach the imperial throne was found
!Hol.hn. tuGky..Silve nie;;s. .,Whqlh s,fla
out OF her brother n-law. 1t was also
common talk that Cen. Boulanger had
acquired the famous coin, until the
discovery that his money srnnlies p, mo
from the DuchnsSe d,r-vos ,.et ~,
'iaf - VIC ~. ''' ''esae u oAes set thae be-
..Tho 49,. ,;,.
,,,, ~. iNS eAfl'.satioh as TO
Wy '"o 'Ei'ahc piece iaits 10 turn
sebud unorah ' ,,'l-N'a ue I'o'h-
1o,,,;,h - .No s.ea'
account .+a.I ~. ca H. AIS
sch1d ;,,..;, NH
ord f,nra .,,a;-.;a So Wv - "ut'lo"
dali,,or.,,l,- 80. =, p'so' - 10 . a.h'
q ooo ono 'oe"'e 'ia
in ,ra oo,,a,., III
he could oo, ,nd p'e,e
fed r. r.s.,,,. 10!
avarr f,rat, - q
tbem IN r,ra,,a ''"