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Sometime currency of France

French franc
franc français (French)
l and 100 francs 200 and 500 francs
ISO 4217
Code	FRF (1960–2002)
Number	250
Exponent	two
Denominations
Subunit
1⁄100	centime
Symbol	F or Fr (briefly also NF during the 1960s; also unofficially FF and ₣)
Nickname	balles (one F);[one] [n 1] sacs (10 F); bâton, brique, patate, plaque (ten,000 F)
Banknotes
Freq. used	20 F, fifty F, 100 F, 200 F, 500 F
Coins
Freq. used	5, ten, twenty centimes, 1⁄2  F, 1 F, 2 F, 5 F, 10 F
Rarely used	1 centime, xx F
Demographics
User(south)	None; previously: French republic, Monaco, Andorra (until 2002); Saar, Saarland (until 1959)
Issuance
Central banking company	Banque de France
Website	www.banque-france.fr
Mint	Monnaie de Paris
Website	www.monnaiedeparis.com
Valuation
Pegged by	KMF, XAF & XOF, XPF, ADF, MCF
ERM
Since	13 March 1979
Fixed charge per unit since	31 December 1998
Replaced past €, non cash	1 January 1999
Replaced by €, greenbacks	17 February 2002
€ =	6.55957 F
This infobox shows the latest status before this currency was rendered obsolete.

The franc (; French: [fʁɑ̃]; sign: F or Fr),^{[due north 2]} as well commonly distinguished every bit the French franc (FF), was a currency of France. Betwixt 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth ane livre tournois and information technology remained in common parlance equally a term for this amount of money. It was reintroduced (in decimal course) in 1795. After ii centuries of inflation, it was redenominated in 1960, with each new franc (NF) being worth 100 old francs. The NF designation was connected for a few years before the currency returned to being only the franc, simply many French residents continued to quote prices of especially expensive items in terms of the sometime franc (equivalent to the new centime), and fifty-fifty after the introduction of the euro (for coins and banknotes) in 2002.^[4] The French franc was a ordinarily held international reserve currency of reference in the 19th and 20th centuries.

History [edit]

The French Franc traces its origins to the Carolingian budgetary system of the 8th century AD, and more specifically to the Livre Tournois, an offshoot of the same system which emerged in the 13th century. Hither is a table of changes to the value of the Livre Parisis & the Livre Tournois in terms of silver or gold until the French Franc was introduced in 1795.

Value of Livre Parisis (LP) & Livre Tournois (LT), grams

Year	LP, k silvery	LP, 1000 gold	LT, g silver	LT, g gold
781	407.92	-	-	-
c 1000	305.94	-	-	-
1266	-	-	eighty.88	-
1317	fourscore.88	-	64.lxx	-
1361	55.85	4.856	44.68	3.885
1425	38.243	3.585	xxx.594	two.868
1475	thirty.594	2.620	24.475	2.096
1549	xx.396	1.747	16.317	ane.398
1641	-	-	eight.309	0.6189
1726	-	-	4.505	0.3116
1785	-	-	4.444	0.2867
franc	-	-	4.500	0.2903

Carolingian, 781 [edit]

Denier of Charlemagne c 800

Emperor Charlemagne's monetary system was introduced in 781 CE to the Frankish Carolingian Empire & spread over the centuries to much of Western Europe, with a Livre (Pound) of silver divided into xx Sols or Sous (Shillings) and the Sol divided into 12 Deniers (Penny). Only the denier existed as a coin for the side by side 500 years, with the sou & livre functioning equally accounting multiples of the denier. The first livre & denier weighed 407.92 g & 1.7 g, respectively, of the finest silver available.

Capetian, c 1000 [edit]

Livres & deniers issued c 1000 under the Capetian dynasty independent 305.94 g & 1.27475 g fine silverish, respectively. The French Mark of 8 ounces was a unit of weight equal to 244.752 grams, and equal in weight to 192 deniers or 16 sols of this menses.

In subsequent centuries the French kings would struggle to implement stock-still standards for the livre over a decentralized realm of Frankish feudal rulers, many of whom claimed the correct to result currency within their own domains, and often resorting to currency debasements in moments of stringency. While monetary values equally proclaimed by French kings would eventually exist identified as the Livre Parisis, other regions almost always got by with currencies of lower standard. One such currency, the Livre Tournois, would eventually go the preferred accounting system under a more centralized French kingdom.^[5]

Louis 9, 1266 [edit]

Gros Tournois of Louis IX, 1266

The emergence of the Livre Tournois as France's preferred accounting system occurred during the reign of Male monarch Louis 9 with the issuance of the silver Gros tournois with 58 issued to a French Mark of silver of fineness 23⁄24 (hence 4.044 chiliad fine silver in a gros), and valued at 1 sol (12 deniers) in France's Touraine region though valued less than 1 sol Parisis. The new coin'southward reputation and handling convenience versus those of debased deniers assured the adoption of the gros tournois to the residual of Western Europe.

Tardily Capetian, 1317 [edit]

Towards the reign of King Philip IV le Bel came pressures to further debase the denier, which occurred in 1317 when the Gros Tournois was raised to 15 deniers Tournois or 12 deniers (one sol) Parisis, thus commencing the fixed parity of 4 deniers Parisis to 5 deniers Tournois. While French kings would keep to prescribe coin values in multiples of four & 12 deniers Parisis until the end of the 15th century, the residual of France would gradually choose to recognize their increased values in multiples of 5 & 15 deniers Tournois.^[6]

Hundred Years' War, 1361 [edit]

The showtime of the Hundred Years' War against England in 1337 would increase the force per unit area to farther debase the French livre. An attempt in 1343 to contrary earlier depreciations of circulating deniers and reinstate the old 1317-era gros tournois (forte monnaie, or stiff coin) acquired fiscal havoc especially with borrowers who received depreciated coins and who then had to repay debts in forte monnaie. Lower valuations for the livre had to exist accepted afterward every bit the war raged on.

In 1361 the gros tournois of 15 deniers Tournois (i sol Parisis) was minted at 84 to a French Mark of silver, 23/24 fine (hence, 2.79 g fine silvery in a gros). At the aforementioned fourth dimension gold flowing from Southern Europe started to become an of import medium of exchange in the North, so gilded francs worth i livre Tournois (16 sols Parisis) were minted at 63 to a French Mark of fine gold (hence, 3.885 g in a franc). Gilded equally circulating currency would henceforth continue in the form of Écu d'ors of varying gold content.

The aureate franc worth one livre tournois was introduced in 1360 to pay the ransom of King John Two of French republic. This coin secured the king's liberty and showed him on a richly decorated horse earning it the name franc à cheval ^[7] (meaning "free on horse" in French).^[8] The obverse legend, like other French coins, gives the king'southward title as Francorum Rex ("Rex of the Franks" in Latin) and provides another reason to call the money a franc.^{[ citation needed ]} John's son, Charles V, connected this type. It was copied exactly at Brabant and Cambrai and, with the arms on the horse cloth inverse, at Flanders. Conquests led past Joan of Arc allowed Charles VII to return to sound coinage and he revived the franc à cheval. John Two, however, was not able to strike plenty francs to pay his ransom and he voluntarily returned to English captivity.

John II died every bit a prisoner in England and his son, Charles V was left to pick up the pieces. Charles V pursued a policy of reform, including stable coinage. An edict dated 20 Apr 1365 established the centerpiece of this policy, a gilt coin officially called the denier d'or aux fleurs de lis which had a standing figure of the king on its obverse, pictured under a canopy.^[7] Its value in money of account was 1 livre tournois, just like the franc à cheval, and this coin is universally known as a franc à pied.^[seven] In accordance with the theories of the mathematician, economist and royal counselor Nicole Oresme, Charles struck fewer coins of improve gold than his ancestors. In the accompanying deflation both prices and wages fell, but wages fell faster and debtors had to settle up in ameliorate money than they had borrowed. The Mayor of Paris, Étienne Marcel, exploited their discontent to atomic number 82 the Jacquerie revolt which forced Charles Five out of the city. The franc fared ameliorate. It became associated with money stable at one livre tournois.^[9]

Lancastrian War, 1425 [edit]

A certain caste of peace achieved at the start of the 15th century helped settle the value of French currency. Afterward 1422 the gros of ane sol Parisis was minted at 96 to a French Marking, 3⁄4 fine (hence 1.912 g per gros), while the Écu of twenty sols Parisis was minted at 64 to a French Mark, 22 1⁄two karats or 15⁄sixteen fine (hence 3.585 g per écu). The gros and the écu compared favorably with England's two-pence coin of 1.viii g silver and 40-pence ( one⁄6 th of a pound) half-noble coin of 3.48 g aureate, resulting in an gauge exchange rate of 1 pound sterling to six Livres Parisis.

Peace in the Burgundian Netherlands after the 1420s also resulted in the 1434 realignment of the Flemish budgetary arrangement with the French livre. The new Flemish Guilder (Pound) of 20 Stuiver (shilling) contained 32.6 g fine silver and was approximately par with the Livre Parisis of twenty sols (38.24 g). Such parities between the French livres to the Flemish & English currencies would persist up to the 1560s and would facilitate the result of identical coin denominations across these countries.^[10]

Louis XI, 1475 [edit]

Écu au soleil of Louis XII

The Swell Bullion Dearth of the mid-15th century resulted in yet another debasement during the reign of King Louis 11, with the Livre Parisis reduced to 1 French ounce (thirty.594 chiliad) fine silvery or ii.620 k fine aureate. The silver gros was minted at 69 to the French Mark, 23⁄24 fine (3.iv m fine silver) & was valued at i⁄9 th the Livre Parisis (or 2 ii⁄9 sols). The gold écu au soleil was minted at 72 to the Mark, 23 1⁄8 karats fine (3.2754 grand fine gold), & was valued at 25 Sols Parisis. The close of the 15th century saw the beginnings of a more than centralized French currency organisation & the discontinuation of competing currency systems within French republic.

The Livre Parisis of 1 French ounce approximately matched the silver content of ane⁄six th pound sterling (i troy ounce of sterling silver). It would be as well be the model for Deutschland when it commenced issuing the one-ounce silver Guldengroschen divided into 21 Groschen (gros, shillings) or 252 Pfennige (pence).

Valois-Angoulême, 1549 [edit]

A considerable dispatch in the debasement of the French, English & Dutch currencies occurred during the reign of the Valois-Angoulême kings in the 16th century amidst the huge influx of precious metals from the American continent arriving through the Habsburg Netherlands. The loose enforcement of monetary standards in the Dutch provinces resulted in a significant 1⁄3 rd reduction in the value of the French livre past 1549, with debasements continuing into the 17th century.

The French ounce (30.594 g) of fine silver was raised in value from i to ane one⁄2 Livre Parisis (or from 25 to 37 1⁄2 sols Tournois). The écu au soleil of 3.2754 chiliad fine gilded was raised in value from 25 to 37 one⁄2 sols Parisis (or 31 1⁄4 to approximately 47 sols Tournois). This l% advance was as well seen in England in 1551 when it raised its troy ounce of sterling silver from 40 to 60 pence, and in the 17th century when Federal republic of germany raised its 1-ounce silver Thaler from i to 1 1⁄2 silver gulden.

The 16th century saw the issuance of larger silver coins, kickoff in testoons (nine g fine silver, valued at xi sols Tournois in 1549), and later on in silvery francs (12.3 chiliad fine silver, valued at 1 Livre Tournois in 1577). These French coins, however, were much less popular than the 1-ounce silver coins coming out of Spain, the Netherlands & Germany, leading to the 1641 currency reform nether King Louis Xiii.

Henry Iii exploited the association of the franc every bit audio money worth one livre tournois when he sought to stabilize French currency in 1577. By this time, inflows of aureate and silvery from Spanish America had caused inflation throughout the world economy and the kings of France, who weren't getting much of this wealth, only made things worse by manipulating the values assigned to their coins. The States General which met at Blois in 1577 added to the public pressure to terminate currency manipulation. Henry 3 agreed to exercise this and he revived the franc, now every bit a silverish coin valued at one livre tournois. This coin and its fractions circulated until 1641 when Louis XIII of French republic replaced it with the silver écu. Nevertheless, the name "franc" continued in accounting equally a synonym for the livre tournois.^[11]

Louis XIII 1641 [edit]

Louis d'argent of Louis Xiii, 1642

Louis d'Or of Louis 13, 1641

In the 17th century King Louis XIII abolished its unpopular coinage of francs & ecus in favor of Spanish-modelled coins. Information technology as well abolished the Livre Parisis organisation in favor of exclusively using the Livre Tournois. The Spanish dollar was the model for the Louis d'Silver – 9 to a French Marker (244.752 one thousand) of silvery, 11⁄12 fine (hence 24.93 g fine argent), and valued at 3 livres tournois. The Spanish doubloon or two-escudo coin was the model for the Louis d'Or – 36 ane⁄4 to a French Mark of golden, 11⁄12 fine (hence 6.189 g fine aureate), and valued at ten livres.

Louis Xv, 1726 [edit]

Louis d'or of 24 livres, 1788

France entered some other turbulent menstruation during the War of the Spanish Succession from 1701-1714, resulting in another debasement of the livre tournois. Under Rex Louis XV's reign in 1726 the argent Écu d'Argent was issued at 8.three to a Mark of silver, 11/12 fine (hence 27.03 g fine silvery), and valued at 6 livres. A new aureate Louis d'Or was besides issued at 30 to a Mark of gold, xi/12 fine (hence 7.4785 g fine gold), and valued at 24 livres.

Louis XVI, 1785 [edit]

The rise in the value of gold at the onset of England's Industrial Revolution likewise equally Rex Louis XVI's reign led to the ascension in the Gilt-Silver Ratio to xv.five, resulting in the reduction in the gold content of the 24-livre Louis d'Or from ane/30th to ane/32nd of a Marking, 11/12 fine. While the silver standard remained unchanged, assays of the period betoken that coins independent approximately one.5% less bullion than officially specified. The 1795 swapping of livres to francs at the rate of 1.0125 livres = 1 franc suggest that the 6-livre ecu contained 26.67 g fine silver while the reduced 24-livre Louis independent 6.88 g fine gold.

The livre tournois was swapped in 1795 for the French Franc (or franc germinal), worth 4.5 1000 silverish or 9⁄31 g = 0.29032 g golden (ratio 15.5), at a charge per unit of one franc = 1 i⁄80 livres or 1 livre, 3 deniers.

French Revolution [edit]

1795 five centimes, the start twelvemonth of decimal fractions for the franc

An Assignat for 5 livres (1791)

Three divide strikes of the proposed ii-decimes coin (not adopted)

The decimal "franc" was established as the national currency by the National Convention of Revolutionary France in 1795 every bit a decimal unit (ane franc = 10 décimes = 100 centimes) of four.5 thousand of fine silver. This was slightly less than the livre of 4.505 k, but the franc was fix in 1796 at one.0125 livres (1 livre, 3 deniers), reflecting in function the past minting of sub-standard coins. Silver coins at present had their denomination clearly marked as "5 FRANCS" and it was fabricated obligatory to quote prices in francs. This ended the ancien régime'south practice of striking coins with no stated denomination, such equally the Louis d'or, and periodically issuing royal edicts to manipulate their value in terms of coin of account, i.e. the Livre tournois. The franc became the official currency of France in 1799.^[7]

Coinage with explicit denominations in decimal fractions of the franc also began in 1795.^[12] Decimalization of the franc was mandated by an deed of 7 April 1795, which also dealt with the decimalization of weights and measures. France led the world in adopting the metric arrangement and it was the 2nd country to catechumen from a non-decimal to a decimal currency, following Russian federation's conversion in 1704,^[13] and the 3rd country to adopt a decimal coinage, as well following the United States in 1787.^[xiv] France'southward first decimal coinage used allegorical figures symbolizing revolutionary principles, like the coinage designs the United States had adopted in 1793.

The circulation of this metallic currency declined during the Republic: the old gilt and argent coins were taken out of circulation and exchanged for printed assignats, initially issued as bonds backed past the value of the confiscated goods of churches, only later declared as legal tender currency. The withdrawn gilded and silvery coins were used to finance the French Revolutionary Wars and to import food, which was in short supply.

As during the "Mississippi Bubble" in 1715–1720, likewise many assignats were put in circulation, exceeding the value of the "national backdrop", and the coins, due also to military requisitioning and hoarding, rarefied to pay strange suppliers. With national authorities debt remaining unpaid, and a shortage of silver and brass to mint coins, confidence in the new currency declined, leading to hyperinflation, more food riots, severe political instability and termination of the First French Democracy and the political fall of the French Convention. And then followed the economic failure of the Directoire: coins were still very rare. Later on a coup d'état that led to the Consulate, the Beginning Consul progressively acquired sole legislative power at the expense of the other unstable and discredited consultative and legislative institutions.

French Empire and Restoration [edit]

1807 40 golden francs, now depicting Napoleon as Emperor

In 1800 the Banque de French republic, a federal establishment with a individual board of executives, was created and commissioned to produce the national currency. In 1803, the Franc germinal (named later the month Germinal in the revolutionary agenda) was established, creating a gold franc containing 290.034 mg of fine gold. From this point, gilded and silverish-based units circulated interchangeably on the basis of a 1:15.5 ratio between the values of the two metals (bimetallism) until 1864, when all argent coins except the five-franc piece were debased from xc% to 83.5% silver without the weights changing.

This coinage included the commencement modern gilt coins with denominations in francs. It abased the revolutionary symbols of the coinage 1795, now showing Napoleon in the style of Roman emperors, first described equally "Bonaparte Premier Consul" and with the land named as "République Française". Afterward his coronation in 1804 coins inverse the obverse legend to "Napoleon Empereur", dropping his family unit proper name in the manner of regnal names. In 1807, the opposite legend inverse to name French republic as "Empire Français". In analogy with the old Louis d'or these coins were chosen Gold Napoleons. Economically, this sound money was a great success and Napoleon'southward autumn did not change that. Succeeding governments maintained Napoleon's weight standard, with changes in design which traced the political history of France. In item, this currency organisation was retained during the Bourbon Restoration and perpetuated until 1914.

Latin Monetary Marriage [edit]

France was a founding member of the Latin Monetary Union (LMU), a single currency employed primarily past the Romance-speaking and other Mediterranean states between 1865 and the Commencement Earth War. The common currency was based on the franc germinal, with the name franc already being used in Switzerland and Kingdom of belgium, whilst other countries minted local denominations, redeemable beyond the bloc with 1-to-one parity, though with local names: due east.chiliad., the peseta. In 1873, the LMU went over to a purely aureate standard of 1 franc = 0.290322581 grams of gold.

World State of war I [edit]

The value of the old French franc, in 2007 euros. Years shaded in gilt point fixing to the gilt standard.

The outbreak of Earth War I caused France to leave the gold standard of the LMU. The war severely undermined the franc'due south strength: war expenditure, inflation and postwar reconstruction, financed partly past printing ever more money, reduced the franc's purchasing ability by 70% betwixt 1915 and 1920. Afterward a brief appreciation of the franc during the Depression of 1920–1921, it depreciated a further 43% between 1922 and a balancing of the budget in 1926. This devaluation was aggravated by the insistence of the Republican U.S. federal government and World State of war Strange Debts Committee that France'due south state of war debts exist repaid within 25 years at a minimal iv.25 per centum interest per twelvemonth. The currency devaluation contributed to French demands for high reparations payments from Germany.^[15] After a brief render to the gold standard between 1928 and 1936, the currency was allowed to resume its slide, until in 1959 it was worth less than 2.5% of its 1934 value.

World War II [edit]

During the Nazi occupation of French republic (1940–44), the franc was a satellite currency of the German Reichsmark. The exchange charge per unit was twenty francs for 1 RM. The coins were changed, with the words Travail, famille, patrie (Work, Family, Fatherland) replacing the Republican triad Liberté, égalité, fraternité (Liberty, Equality, Fraternity), with the emblem of the Vichy regime added.

The value of the former French franc in the post-state of war flow, in 2007 euros

After the Liberation, the US attempted to impose the use of the United states of america occupation franc, which was averted by General De Gaulle.

Postal service-War period [edit]

Afterward World War II, France devalued its currency within the Bretton Forest organisation on several occasions. Beginning in 1945 at a rate of 480 francs to the British Pound (119.1 to the U.S. dollar), by 1949 the rate was 980 to the Pound (350 to the Dollar). This was reduced further in 1957 and 1958, reaching 1382.3 to the Pound (493.7 to the Dollar, equivalent to ane franc = 1.8 mg pure aureate).

New franc [edit]

The value of the new French franc, in 2007 euros. Years shaded in light blue bespeak fixed exchange rate to the euro.

In January 1960 the French franc was revalued, with 100 existing francs making one nouveau franc.^[16] The abbreviation "NF" was used on the 1958 design banknotes until 1963. Old one- and 2-franc coins connected to broadcast as new centimes (no new centimes were minted for the first 2 years). The one-centime coin never circulated widely. Aggrandizement continued to erode the franc's value: between 1950 and 1960, cost levels increased 72 per cent (five.vii% per twelvemonth on average); betwixt 1960 and 1970, it increased 51 per cent (iv.2%).^[17] Only one further major devaluation occurred (11% in August 1969) before the Bretton Woods system was replaced by free-floating commutation rates. When the Euro replaced the franc on ane January 1999, the franc was worth less than an eighth of its original 1960 purchasing power.^{[ citation needed ]}

After revaluation and the introduction of the new franc, many French people continued to use the term "old francs" (anciens francs) for large sums, for example for the prices of houses, apartments, and cars. This was common until the introduction of the euro and even after. Many people, old and young – fifty-fifty those who had never used the old franc – even so quoted prices in one-time francs, confusing tourists and people abroad.^{[4] [xviii] [19]} For example, lottery prizes were most often advertised in amounts of centimes, equivalent to the one-time franc, to inflate the perceived value of the prizes at pale. Multiples of 10NF were occasionally referred to as "mille francs" (thousand francs) or "mille balles" ("balle" existence a slang give-and-take for franc) in contexts where information technology was articulate that the speaker did not mean 1,000 new francs. The expression "heavy franc" (franc lourd) was also commonly used to designate the new franc.

All franc coins and banknotes ceased to be legal tender in Jan 2002, upon the official adoption of the Euro.

Economical and Budgetary Spousal relationship [edit]

From 1 January 1999, the value exchange charge per unit of the French franc against the Euro was set at a fixed parity of €i = six.55957 F. Euro coins and notes replaced the franc entirely between 1 Jan and 17 February 2002.

Coins [edit]

Before Earth State of war I [edit]

1803–04 one franc

1803–04 two francs

1803–04 five francs

1803–04 golden 20 francs

1889 proof gold 100 francs (only 100 struck)

In August 1795, the Monetary Constabulary replaced the livre ("pound") with the franc, which was divided into 10 décimes ("tenths") and 100 centimes ("hundredths"). Copper coins were issued in the denominations of i centime, 5 centimes, 1 décime, and 2 décimes, designed past Augustin Dupré. Afterwards 1801, French copper coins became rare.

The 5-centime copper coin was called a sou, referring to "sole" (fr. Latin: solidus), until the 1920s.

An Majestic ten-décime coin was produced in billon from 1807 to 1810.

During the Consulship period (1799–1804) silver francs were struck in decimal coinage.^[20] A five-franc coin was beginning introduced in 1801–02 (L'AN 10),^[21] one-half-franc, i-franc, and aureate 40-franc coins were introduced in 1802–03 (Fifty'AN 11),^[22] and quarter-franc and ii-franc coins in 1803–04 (50'AN 12).^[23]

The 5-franc silver coin was called an écu, later the vi-livre silver coin of the ancien regime, until the 1880s.

A French v Centimes money from 1979

Copper coins were rarely issued between 1801 and 1848, so the quarter franc was the everyman current denomination in circulation. But during this period, copper coins from earlier periods circulated. A Napoleon 5-centime coin (in bong metallic) and Napoleon and Restoration one-décime coins were minted.

A new bronze coinage was introduced from 1848. The 2d Commonwealth Budgetary Dominance minted a 1-centime copper coin with a 1795 design. ii, v and 10-centime coins were issued from 1853. The quarter franc was discontinued, with silverish xx-centime coins issued between 1849 and 1868 as the smallest silver coin produced in France.

The gold coinage also changed. 40-franc coins were last struck in 1839 (with just 23 coins minted).^[24] Several new denomination were introduced as gilt coinage: 5 aureate francs (1856),^[25] ten gold francs (1850),^[26] 50 gold francs (1855),^[25] and 100 gilt francs (1855).^[27] A second pattern for the 100 gold franc coin was released in 1878 depicting continuing genius writing the constitution.^[28] The pictured example (1889) was issued as a proof and only 100 coins were struck.^[28]

The last gold five-franc pieces were minted in 1869, and argent 5-franc coins were last minted in 1878. After 1815, the 20-franc gilt coin was called a "napoléon" (royalists still chosen this coin a "louis"), and and then that is the colloquial term for this money until the nowadays. During the Belle Époque, the 100-franc gold coin was called a "monaco", referring to the flourishing casino business in Monte Carlo.^{[ citation needed ]}

Nickel 25-centime coins were introduced in 1903.

Globe State of war I [edit]

World War I and the aftermath brought substantial changes to the coinage. Gold coinage was suspended and the franc was debased. Smaller, holed 5, x, and 25-centime coins minted in nickel or cupro-nickel were introduced in 1914, finally replacing copper in 1921. In 1920, 1 and ii-centime coins were discontinued and production of silver coinage ceased, with aluminium-statuary 50-centime, 1-franc, and 2-franc coins introduced. Until 1929, these coins were issued past the chambers of commerce, begetting the phrase bon pour on information technology (meaning: "expert for"). At the beginning of the 1920s, chambers of commerce also issued small-scale change coins in aluminium. In 1929, the original franc germinal of 1795 was replaced by the franc Poincaré, which was valued at twenty% of the 1803 gold standard.

In 1929, silverish coins were reintroduced in x-franc and 20-franc denominations. A very rare gilt 100-franc coin was minted between 1929 and 1936.

In 1933, a nickel v-franc coin was minted, merely was soon replaced by a large aluminium-bronze 5-franc coin.

From World War II to the currency reform [edit]

Vichy French zinc and aluminium coins fabricated during Earth State of war Ii. These coins circulated in both Vichy French republic and the zone occupée.

The events of the Second World War also afflicted the coinage essentially. In 1941, aluminium replaced aluminium-bronze in the 50 centimes, and one, 2, and 5 francs as copper and nickel were diverted into the War Effort. In 1942, following German occupation and the installation of the French Vichy State, a new, short lived series of coins was released which included holed 10 and 20 centimes in zinc. 50 centimes, and one and two francs were aluminium. In 1944 this series was discontinued and withdrawn and the previous issue was resumed.

Following the state of war, rapid inflation caused denominations below 1 franc to be withdrawn from circulation while 10 francs in copper nickel were introduced, followed by reduced size 10-franc coins in aluminium-statuary in 1950, along with xx and fifty-franc coins of the aforementioned limerick. In 1954, copper-nickel 100 francs were introduced.

In the 1960s, 1 and two (old) franc aluminium coins were still circulating, used as "centimes".

New franc [edit]

In 1960, the new franc ( nouveau franc ) was introduced,^[29] worth 100 erstwhile francs. Stainless steel 1 and 5 centimes, aluminium-bronze 10, twenty, and l centimes, nickel 1 franc and silver five francs were introduced. Silver 10-franc coins were introduced in 1965, followed past a new, smaller aluminium-bronze 5-centime and a smaller nickel i⁄ii -franc money in 1966.

A start try to innovate a nickel 2-franc coin in 1960 failed.

Nickel-clad copper-nickel five-franc and nickel-brass 10-franc coins replaced their silver counterparts in 1970 and 1974, respectively. Nickel 2 francs were finally introduced in 1979, followed past bimetallic ten francs in 1988 and trimetallic twenty francs in 1992. The 20-franc coin was equanimous of two rings and a centre plug.

20 Centime with Marianne on Obverse.
Obverse: Marianne wearing the Phrygian cap of liberty	Reverse: Face value and French motto: "Liberté, égalité, fraternité"
This coin was minted from 1962 to 2001.

French franc coins (1960–1999)

20-franc coin – trimetallic money made for general circulation

A nickel 10-franc piece was issued on 22 Oct 1986, in an attempt to increase usability, reduce counterfeiting, and make it easier for vending machines to recognise. While 120 meg were released into apportionment, circulation was halted on 26 Nov due to confusion with the one-half-franc and an unpopular design. The coin was afterwards withdrawn and on nineteen December and became demonetized at the cease of June the next year.^{[30] [31]} This led to the conception of the later bimetallic model. The aluminium-bronze pieces continued to broadcast until the bimetallic pieces were adult and additional aluminium-bronze coins were minted to supplant those initially withdrawn. Once the bimetallic coins were circulating and produced in necessary quantities, the aluminium-bronze pieces were gradually withdrawn and demonetized.

A .900 silvery l-franc piece was issued from 1974–1980, known as the largest silver coin always minted in France, (due to its confront value in accordance to its size) just was withdrawn and demonetized after the price of silvery spiked in 1980. Then, in 1982, a 100-franc piece, as well in .900 silver, was issued, and circulated to a small extent, until the introduction of the euro.

All French franc coins were demonetized in 2005 and are no longer redeemable at the Banque de French republic .

At the time of the complete changeover to the euro on 1 January 2002, coins in circulation (some produced as recently as 2000) were:

Circulation Coins of the French franc (valid in 2001)
Image	Value	Equivalent in euros	Diameter	Weight	Material	Obverse	Contrary	Dates of event
	one centime	€0.0015	fifteen  mm	1.65 thou	stainless steel	sheath of wheat	denomination	1960–2001
	five centimes	€0.0075	17  mm	2.00 g	aluminum-bronze	Marianne and championship of the state	denomination; national motto (Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité); date	1966–2001
	10 centimes	€0.015	xx  mm	iii.00 g				1962–2001
	xx centimes	€0.030	23.5  mm	4.00 g				1962–2001
	1⁄2  franc	€0.076	xix.5  mm	4.50 chiliad	nickel	The Sower; land name	denomination; olive branch; appointment; national motto (Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité)	1965–2001
	1 franc	€0.152	24 mm	6.00 g				1960–2001
	two francs	€0.305	26.half-dozen mm	vii.l one thousand				1979–2001
	5 francs	€0.760	29.0 mm	ten.0 1000	nickel-clad cupronickel			1970–2001
	ten francs	€ane.52	22.3  mm	6.fifty g	aluminum-statuary (ring); nickel (cadre)	"RF"; Le Génie de la Liberté	value; abstract design; date; national motto (Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité)	1988–2001
	20 francs	€3.05	27.0  mm	9.00 g	aluminum-statuary (outer ring and core); nickel (middle band)	Land name; Mont-Saint-Michel	value; abstract pattern; date; national motto (Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité)	1992–2001

• 1 centime (~ 0.15 euro cents) stainless steel, rarely circulated (terminal production stopped offset in 1982, so in 1987 due to loftier product cost, and lack of demand due to its very low value).
• 5 centimes (~ 0.76 cents) aluminium-bronze
• ten centimes (~ 1.52 cents) aluminium-bronze
• 20 centimes (~ 3.05 cents) aluminium-bronze
• 1⁄2 franc (~ 7.6 cents) nickel
• 1 franc (~ 15.two cents) nickel
• 2 francs (~ 30.5 cents) nickel
• 5 francs (~ 76 cents) nickel-clad copper-nickel
• 10 francs (~ €i.52) bimetallic
• 20 francs (~ €iii.05) trimetallic, rarer (produced for a short period before the euro, the banknote equivalent was much more than often used)
• 100 francs (~ €xv.24) silvery, rarely circulated (well-nigh often bought and offered as personal gifts, but rare in commercial transactions, at present worth more than its face value).

Euro exchange [edit]

Coins were freely exchangeable until 17 Feb 2005 at Banque de French republic simply (commercial banks were not required to have the one-time coins after the transition period in 2002, only some did), by converting their full value in francs to euros (rounded to the nearest cent) at the fixed charge per unit of 6.55957 francs for 1 euro. Banknotes remained convertible upward until 17 February 2012.^[32] Past that date, franc notes worth some €550 1000000 remained unexchanged, allowing the French state to register the respective sum as revenue.^[33]

Banknotes [edit]

République Française – 1000 francs (1795)

Banque de France – 100 francs (1927)

The commencement franc paper money problems were fabricated in 1795. They were assignats in denominations betwixt 100 and 10,000 francs. These followed in 1796 past "territorial mandate promises" for 25 upward to 500 francs. The treasury also issued notes that twelvemonth for 25 up to one thousand francs.

In 1800, the Bank of France began issuing notes, first in denominations of 500 and yard francs. In the belatedly 1840s, 100 and 200-franc notes were added, while 5, 20 and 50 francs were added in the 1860s and 70s, although the 200-franc notation was discontinued.

The Offset Globe War saw the introduction of 10 and 1000-franc notes. The chambers of commerce'south notgeld ("coin of necessity"), from 1918 to 1926, produced 25c, 50c, 1 F, two F, five F, and x F notes.

Despite base of operations-metal five, 10 & xx F coins being introduced between 1929 and 1933, the banknotes were non removed. In 1938, first 5000-franc notes were added.

In 1944, the liberating Allies introduced dollar-like paper coin in denominations between two and 1000 francs, also as a contumely 2-franc coin.

Subsequently the Second Globe State of war, while 5, 10 and 20-franc notes were replaced by coins in 1950, equally were the 50- and 100-franc notes in the mid-1950s. In 1954, the 10,000-franc notes were introduced.

In 1959, banknotes in apportionment when the one-time franc was replaced by the new franc were:

• 500 francs: Victor Hugo
• one thousand francs: Cardinal de Richelieu
• 5000 francs: Henri Iv
• 10,000 francs: Bonaparte 1st consul

The first issue of the new franc consisted of 500, 1000, 5000 and ten,000-franc notes overprinted with their new denominations of 5, ten, 50 and 100 new francs. This outcome was followed by notes of the aforementioned design simply with only the new denomination shown. A 500-new franc note was also introduced in 1960 representing Molière, replaced in 1969 by the yellow Pascal type (colloquially called a pascal). A 5-franc annotation was issued until 1970 and a 10-franc annotation (showing Hector Berlioz) was issued until 1979.

Banknotes in circulation when the franc was replaced were:^[34]

• 20 francs (€3.05): Claude Achille Debussy-brown-regal (introduced 1983)
• l francs (€7.62): Antoine de Saint-Exupéry—blue (introduced 20 October 1993, replacing Maurice Quentin de la Bout)
• 100 francs (€15.24): Paul Cézanne—orange (introduced 15 Dec 1997, replacing Eugène Delacroix)
• 200 francs (€30.49): Gustave Eiffel—red (introduced 29 Oct 1996, replacing Montesquieu)
• 500 francs (€76.22): Pierre and Marie Curie—light-green (introduced 22 March 1995, replacing Blaise Pascal)

Banknotes of the electric current series every bit of euro changeover could exist exchanged with the French central bank or with other services until 17 February 2012.

Most older series were exchangeable for x years from date of withdrawal. As the concluding banknote from the previous series had been withdrawn on 31 March 1998 (200 francs, Montesquieu), the deadline for the exchange was 31 March 2008.

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• 

• 

• 

• 

Banknotes of the French franc (1993–1997 issue)
Epitome	Value	Equivalent in euros	Size	Obverse	Reverse	Watermark	Remark	Date of result
[35]	l F	€7.62	123 x 80 mm	Antoine de Saint-Exupéry; Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince); "Latécoère 28" aeroplane	"Breguet fourteen" biplane	Antoine de Saint-Exupéry	In the notes printed in 1992–1993, the proper noun of Saint-Exupéry was misspelled as Éxupéry at upper left on front	20 October 1993
[36]	100 F	€15.24	133 x 80 mm	Paul Cézanne	Fruit (a painting by Paul Cézanne)	Paul Cézanne	EURion constellation on the upper right corner of the note'southward contrary consisting of 100s spread across.	15 December 1997
[37]	200 F	€30.49	143 x 80 mm	Gustave Eiffel; truss of the Eiffel tower	Base of the Eiffel tower	Gustave Eiffel		29 October 1996
[38]	500 F	€76.22	153 ten 80 mm	Marie Curie and Pierre Curie	Laboratory utensils	Marie Curie		22 March 1995

De facto currency [edit]

Along with the Spanish peseta, the French franc was as well a de facto currency used in Andorra (which had no national currency with legal tender). It circulated alongside the Monegasque franc in Monaco, with which it had equal value. These currencies were all replaced by the euro in 2002.

See also [edit]

• French euro coins
• Economy of France
• Napoleon (coin)

Notes [edit]

1. ^ E'er used in the plural and originally in reference to the old franc, so that new francs were known as cent balles (100 old francs). Later on, new francs and somewhen euros came to exist called " balles".
2. ^ An F-with-bar or Fr ligature (₣) is bachelor as a Unicode currency symbol grapheme but was never adopted and has never been officially used.^[2] The F-with-bar symbol was proposed by Édouard Balladur, Minister of Economy, in 1988.^[3]

References [edit]

Citations [edit]

1. ^ de Goncourt, Eastward. & J. (1860), Charles Demailly, p. 107 .
2. ^ Haralambous, Yannis (2007), Fonts & Encodings, p. 78 .
3. ^ Balladur, Édouard (1988), Un symbole pour le franc .
4. ^ ^{a b} [P]eople continued to talk in old Francs for large values. They were still doing that in January 2002... In everyday conversation many people effectually hither at present [in 2003] operate three different systems depending on the value involved. For prices up to effectually €100 Euros are used. For college values Francs are used - New Francs that is, except for values of ten,000 New Francs and more than, which are notwithstanding quoted in erstwhile Francs. The French Franc and its replacement by the Euro on world wide web.midi-france.info
5. ^ Shaw, William Arthur (1896). "The History of Currency, 1252-1894: Existence an Account of the Gold and Silver Moneys and Monetary Standards of Europe and America, Together with an Test of the Effects of Currency and Substitution Phenonmena on Commercial and National Progress and Well-being".
6. ^ Shaw, William Arthur (1896). "The History of Currency, 1252-1894: Being an Business relationship of the Gold and Silverish Moneys and Monetary Standards of Europe and America, Together with an Test of the Effects of Currency and Substitution Phenonmena on Commercial and National Progress and Well-being".
7. ^ ^{a b c d} "Franc". Encyclopaedia Britannica.
8. ^ Coins of Medieval Europe. Philip Grierson. p. 145.
9. ^ Coins in History. John Porteous. P. 116
10. ^ https://world wide web.economics.utoronto.ca/wwwfiles/athenaeum/munro5/JaarboekGuildsGovt.pdf^{[ blank URL PDF ]}
11. ^ Coins in History. John Porteous. P. 182
12. ^ Coins of the World, W. D. Craig, folio 100 of the 2d edition
13. ^ The Coin Atlas, Cribb, Melt, Carradice, and Blossom, folio 119
14. ^ The Money Atlas, Cribb, Melt, Carradice, and Flower, folio 266
15. ^ Steiner, Zara (2005). The lights that failed : European international history, 1919-1933. Oxford: Oxford University Printing. ISBN978-0-19-151881-2. OCLC 86068902.
16. ^ "Ordonnance due north°58-1341 du 27 décembre 1958 NOUVEAU FRANC". Legifrance/gouv/fr . Retrieved v October 2017.
17. ^ Otmar Emminger: DM, Dollar, Währungskrisen – Erinnerungen eines ehemaligen Bundesbankpräsidenten, 1986, p. 75.
18. ^ "Merely everyone gets dislocated above 10 meg francs [100 000 new francs] and continues to use 'old francs'." (Mais au-delà de 10 MF, tout le monde south'y perd et continue de parler en «anciens francs».) [i]
19. ^ "Near 40 years later, a big part of the population continues to talk in old francs!" (Près de quarante ans après, une grande partie de la population continue à parler en anciens francs !) [2]
20. ^ Cuhaj 2009, p. 321.
21. ^ Cuhaj 2009, p. 323.
22. ^ Cuhaj 2009, pp. 322–24.
23. ^ Cuhaj 2009, pp. 321–23.
24. ^ Cuhaj 2009, p. 345.
25. ^ ^{a b} Cuhaj 2009, p. 351.
26. ^ Cuhaj 2009, p. 348.
27. ^ Cuhaj 2009, p. 353.
28. ^ ^{a b} Cuhaj 2009, p. 356.
29. ^ 1958 Monetary Law Reform voted along with the Fifth Republic Constitution.
30. ^ Meisler, Stanley (31 December 1986). "Short-Lived French Coin Is a Dealer's Delight". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 21 Feb 2022.
31. ^ Blume, Mary (1 March 1987). "The Little ten-France Coin That Couldn't". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 21 February 2022.
32. ^ Bank, European Central. "Exchanging national cash". European Central Bank . Retrieved 5 October 2017.
33. ^ Erlanger, Steven (xix February 2012). "Every bit Erstwhile Francs Expire, French republic Makes a Small Mint". The New York Times . Retrieved 19 February 2012.
34. ^ Bank, European Fundamental. "French republic". European Fundamental Bank . Retrieved 5 October 2017.
35. ^ "P-157". Banknote.ws . Retrieved v October 2017.
36. ^ "P-158". Banknote.ws . Retrieved v Oct 2017.
37. ^ "P-159". Banknote.ws . Retrieved v October 2017.
38. ^ "P-160". Banknote.ws . Retrieved 5 October 2017.

Bibliography [edit]

• Cuhaj, George Due south., ed. (2009). Standard Catalog of World Coins 1801–1900 (6th ed.). Krause. ISBN978-0-89689-940-vii.

External links [edit]

• Overview of French franc from the BBC
• Banknotes of France
• French franc (1951–1999) and euro (1999–ongoing) inflation calculators and charts
• Banknotes of France: Detailed Catalog of French Francs
• Historical banknotes of French republic (in English and German)

New franc

Preceded by: Erstwhile franc Ratio: 1 new franc = 100 erstwhile francs

Currency of France 1960 – 2002

Succeeded past: Euro Reason: deployment of euro cash Ratio: ane euro = vi.55957 francs

costellonady1999.blogspot.com

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_franc