France - Republic/former Franco (1870-1960) Coins
French numismatics is rich in history and diversity. France currently uses the euro as its official currency since its introduction in 2002. However, its monetary history is much more extensive and fascinating, spanning centuries of political and economic change.
The French franc: predecessor of the euro
Prior to the adoption of the euro, the official currency of France was the French franc. Introduced in 1360 during the reign of John II, the franc underwent numerous transformations over the centuries. During the French Revolution, the germinal franc was established in 1803, which remained the primary monetary unit until the arrival of the euro. The French franc witnessed important historical events, such as the creation of the Latin Monetary Union in 1865.
Milestones in French numismatics
French numismatics has several significant milestones. Among them is the minting of the "écu d'or" in 1266 by Louis IX, one of the first European gold coins of the Middle Ages. Another turning point was the introduction of the silver franc in 1575 by Henry III. In more recent times, the issuance of commemorative coins has gained popularity, celebrating historical events, personalities and French cultural achievements, thus contributing to the country's rich numismatic tradition.
| Country | France |
| Flag | |
| Coin | Euro (EUR) |
| Continent | Europa |
| Capital city | Paris |
| ISO2 | FR |
| ISO3 | FRA |
| Catalogued coins | 1788 |
If you are a passionate collector, this catalog offers the possibility to create your own personal collection. You can add your coins and generate a free PDF catalog from a complete database and our management tools. In addition, once registered, you will have the opportunity to exchange coins with other collectors around the world easily and free of charge.
Ancient coins of France
To facilitate their classification, we have decided to organise the coins according to their historical period, you can consult the coins by historical numismatic categories of France.
Second Republic 1848-1852 Napoleon III 1852-1870 Republic/former Franco 1870-1960 Vichy Government 1940-1944 New French Franc 1960-2001 Euro 1999-?The most valuable coins
The most valuable France - Republic/former Franco (1870-1960) coins and sought after by collectors according to Foronum statistics are the following:
The valuation of these coins has been achieved through a meticulous algorithm that considers the current market, taking into account aspects such as material, weight, diameter, edge, year of mintage, mint of manufacture and the number of coins produced. Coins with limited mintages and in good condition are usually among the most valuable.
Coin catalogs related to France
You can consult other coins related to France, these catalogs are usually country history: former countries, unifications, independence provinces, colonies, etc.
- France overseas
- French Equatorial Africa
- French Oceania
- French Polynesia (CFP franc)
- French Somalia
- French West Africa
- Martinica (Euro)
- New Caledonia (CFP franc)
- Reunion (Euro)
- Saint Pierre et Miquelon (Euro)
Coin Catalog
10 centimes
2 francs
2 francs
5 francs
5 francs
5 centimes
1 franc
1 franc
1 centime
2 centimes
50 centimes
1 centime
2 centimes
5 centimes
10 centimes
1 franc
1 franc
2 francs
2 francs
10 francs
Other resources to find coins and banknotes of France
Can't find what you are looking for? Take a look at our coin finder and speed up your searches within the collections of all collectors, or if you prefer you can search directly in the list of coin collectors and access their profile to see their collections.