FRENCH COIN COLLECTING ?
Early 20th century
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A 1-franc piece from the Chamber of Commerce of 1922. Estimated at : 150 FRF in this condition.
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The last French gold coin from before the war, the 100-franc piece,
engraved by Lucien Bazor.
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| The coins struck between 1914 and 1960 follow the ups and downs
of world-history, with the coins struck by necessity during the
1914-1918 war, the successive devaluations of the pre-war period,
then the occupation of the country by the Nazis between 1940 and
1944.
The pre-war coins are those used by Picasso, the Surrealists, the Cubists and by … Maurice Chevalier ! |
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The 'Cochet' 100-franc piece, dating from the end of the Indochina
war.
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| Coins struck by the Americans are even to be found in French numismatics . In effect, it was impossible to use coins struck by the occupying forces and used by them. The Americans produced, above all, notes to replace the coinage of occupied France, but the Philadelphia mint struck a French 2-franc coin, destined to be used by American troops and by free French troops operating in North Africa and in liberated regions of France. The GIs who landed in France had them in their pockets. |
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The Republic in the monetary portrait from the between-wars period. |  |
| As the coin types changed regularly, very fine specimens are to be found quite easily, but as French experts usually have difficulty differentiating between an AU 58 and an MS 67, many opportunities exist for coin-collectors who are attentive and looking for quality. |
