The large-headed portrait type of 1853 was Napoleon III's first silver franc design, introduced following his proclamation as Emperor in December 1852. It was replaced as early as 1856 by the small-head type — making the large portrait one of the shortest-lived obverse varieties in the Second Empire coinage series. Paris production in 1853 was the sole source for the type in its inaugural year.
The large-headed portrait type of 1853 was Napoleon III's first silver franc design, introduced following his proclamation as Emperor in December 1852. It was replaced as early as 1856 by the small-head type — making the large portrait one of the shortest-lived obverse varieties in the Second Empire coinage series. Paris production in 1853 was the sole source for the type in its inaugural year.