Jacob Coen Bacri

Jacob Coen Bacri was a financier who served as French consul in Algiers under the restored Bourbon monarchy. The insult inflicted upon him by the Hussein Dey was used as a pretext to France to declare war on Regency of Algiers.

Jacob Coen Bacri was born into prominent Algerian family of financiers and communal leaders. He served as French consul in Algiers and, in 1827, represented Charles X (r. 1824- 1830) in negotiations with Hussein Dey. As the Dey was irritated with Bacri’s impassioned defense of French interests, he insulted him and the French government regarded the Dey’s action as a national insult and as an immediate excuse to declare war. Bacri left Algiers at the outbreak of the war and settled in Paris. During the last years of his life, Bacri had financial difficulties because of his inability to collect a 35-million-franc debt from the Spanish government.