Charles X, 1824-A

KM 721.1; Friedberg 547, PCGS graded MS-63

The worst fears of Louis XVIII were realized when Charles Philippe succeeded him as Charles X on September 16, 1824. His ultra-royalist and conservative views, which included belief in the divine right of kings and opposition to civil liberties guaranteed by the Charter of 1814 made him deeply unpopular from the start. Dissatisfaction with his reign grew as he increased the power of the Catholic Church and reimbursed former feudal landowners for their losses. When the conservative government he appointed was defeated in the 1830 legislative election, Charles X imposed the July Ordinances. These repressive decrees disbanded the Chamber of Deputies and censored the press. In response, the French people rose up in a series of urban riots known as the July Revolution, forcing Charles X to abdicate the throne and flee to England.

First type. Paris. Head of Charles X right. Reverse: Crowned arms within wreath.

Ex Heritage (27 September 2013), 24565