Issued to commemorate the Chevau-légers of the Imperial Guard — the Polish light cavalry unit formed in 1807 that became one of Napoleon's most trusted formations. Their charge at Somosierra in November 1808, where roughly 150 Polish lancers broke a fortified Spanish mountain pass that had halted the entire French advance, cemented their reputation and Napoleon's personal regard for Polish cavalry.
Mintage was capped at 4,000 pieces. The .900 fineness follows the Polish collector gold series convention established in the 1990s rather than the .999 standard increasingly common among European sovereign mints by this date.
Issued to commemorate the Chevau-légers of the Imperial Guard — the Polish light cavalry unit formed in 1807 that became one of Napoleon's most trusted formations. Their charge at Somosierra in November 1808, where roughly 150 Polish lancers broke a fortified Spanish mountain pass that had halted the entire French advance, cemented their reputation and Napoleon's personal regard for Polish cavalry.
Mintage was capped at 4,000 pieces. The .900 fineness follows the Polish collector gold series convention established in the 1990s rather than the .999 standard increasingly common among European sovereign mints by this date.