ABSTRACT
When the French Empire, in 1813 and 1814 was going to its end, after the Battle of Leipzig, and the Napoleon’s authority was going to fail even among his own supporters, the Sixth Coalition ran over the French territory itself.
Nevertheless some stronghold continued to resist abroad, as Zamosk, Cattaro, Hamburg, Zara and Anvers (Antwerpen).
Anvers was bravely and strongly defended from English besiegers of Graham by Lazare Carnot.
After the abdication of Napoleon, the 6th of April, 1814, Anvers recognized as legitimate ruler Louis XVIII, the brother of the decapitated King Louis XVI, but after few days the citadel surrendered.
During the siege Carnot was forced to mint necessity coins, using copper found in the Anvers’ shipyards and bronze from bells and guns.
In the coins’ obverse there was the big N, laurel crowned, of Napoleon, but, after his fall, till the end of the siege it has been replaced by two capital script L, faced and interwoven, as monogram of the new Sovereign.