This listing is for the French Coin Collection as photographed, with the following denominations:
1 Franc
1/2 Franc
20 Centimes
10 Centimes
5 Centimes
The French franc was the currency of France until the euro was adopted in 1999 (by law, 2002 de facto). The Swiss franc is a major world currency today due to the prominence of Swiss financial institutions. The name is said to derive from the Latin inscription francorum rex (Style of the French sovereign: King of the Franks) used on early French coins and until the 18th century.
The French franc was originally a gold coin issued in France from 1360 until 1380, then a silver coin issued between 1575 and 1641.[2] The franc finally became the national currency from 1795 until 1999. Though abolished as a legal coin by Louis XIII in 1641 in favor of the gold louis and silver écu, the term franc continued to be used. The franc was also minted for many of the former French colonies, such as Morocco, Algeria, French West Africa, and others. Today, after independence, many of these countries continue to use the franc as their standard denomination. Ironically, France itself does not as the adoption of the euro took over the currency.
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