FRANCE Coins
Franken Coin Guide: History of a Germanic Franc
Illustrated Specimen Details: Aluminium-bronze 10 Franken Example Specimen: 10 franken, 1954 (Saar Protectorate) Authority & Heraldry: The obverse features the inscription SAARLAND alongside the Coat of Arms of the Saar Pr…
Piastre Coin: History of Colonial & Trade Currency
Illustrated Specimen Details: Indochinese Federation 1 Piastre Example Specimen: 1 Piastre, 1947 — Indochinese Federation Design & Inscriptions: This coin represents the INDOCHINOISE FÉDÉRATION (Indochinese Federation, als…
Écu: The Historic Shield Coin of French Royal Numismatics
Illustrated Specimen Details: Principality of Dombes 1/12 Écu Example Specimen: Silver 1/12 Écu, 1665 (Principality of Dombes, France) Iconography & Origin: This silver fractional coin was struck in 1665 within the sovereig…
French Denier: Charlemagne’s Silver vs Revolution Coins
Illustrated Specimen Details: 12 Deniers (France) Example Specimen: 12 deniers, 1791-1793 (French Revolution) Revolutionary Transition: This coin was minted during the turbulent years of the French Revolution (1789-1799). It fe…
Liard: History and Value of the French Copper Coin
Illustrated Specimen Details: Liard (France) Example Specimen: Liard, 1655 — Kingdom of France Monarch and Era: This coin was issued during the reign of Louis XIV , known as the Sun King, who ruled France from 1643 to 1715. His…
Centime Denomination: The Pioneer of Decimal Coinage
Illustrated Specimen Details: 10 Centimes (First French Empire) Example Specimen: 10 centimes, 1808 (Napoleonic France) Authority: Napoleon I — Emperor of the French (from 1804 to 1814 and 1815). Napoleon’s reign marked the ex…
Obole: The Half-Denier Coin of Medieval France
Illustrated Specimen Details: Obole Example Specimen: County of Melgueil (c. 1080-1120) The specimen shown here is a silver obole from the County of Melgueil in Southern France. This region, a significant medieval fief, issued …
Denier Tournois: Medieval French and Crusader Coinage
Illustrated Specimen Details: Denier Tournois Example Specimen: Duchy of Athens (Crusader State), 1294-1308 The coin shown above is a silver denier tournois issued by the Duchy of Athens — one of the Crusader states establishe…
Florette Coin: Charles VI & Hundred Years’ War
Illustrated Specimen Details: Florette Example Specimen: Florette, 1417-1421 — Kingdom of France (Charles VI) This billon coin was struck during the turbulent final years of the reign of Charles VI (known both as "the Belo…
Teston: coin from Duchy of Lorraine (France)
TESTON: COIN OF FRANCE Teston, 1582-1608: Duchy of Lorraine (France) Ruler: Charles III — Duke of Lorraine (1545-1608). He became a duke at the age of two. MONETA NOVA NANCEII CVSA : a new coin struck at Nancy (the capital of the Duchy of Lorrain…
Decime: coin of French Republic; 1/10 franc
DECIME: COIN OF FRANCE 1 decime, 1796: French Republic (French First Republic) Date on coin: Republican Era 5 (by French Republican calendar, created and implemented during the French Revolution and used in France from 1793 to 1805) = 1796 (Gregori…
Bon pour coins: token-like centimes and francs
BON POUR COINS: TEMPORARY MONEY 1 franc ("bon pour"), 1897: Martinique as part of Overseas France Martinique — possession (overseas department) of France on the island of the same name in the Lesser Antilles group in the Caribbean Sea of …
Carolus: coin from Free City of Besançon (France)
CAROLUS: COIN OF BESANÇON (FRANCE) ½ carolus, 1576: Free City of Besançon (Holy Roman Empire, France) The Free City of Besançon was a self-governing free city during 1184-1654 as part of the Holy Roman Empire. Now it is a fairly large provincial ci…
Double tournois: coin from Kingdom of France
DOUBLE TOURNOIS: COIN OF FRANCE Double tournois, 1639: Kingdom of France Ruler: Louis XIII — King of France from 1610 until 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown. DOVBLE…