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1 Ecu de Montolieu [11]
| Issuer | Village du Livre de Montolieu |
|---|---|
| Year | 1994 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Central device depicts an open book rendered in relief, within whose pages a detailed panoramic view of the village of Montolieu is engraved, showing rooftops, a church tower, and surrounding landscape. Two Occitan cross ornaments flank the central motif at either side of the inner field. The legend VILLAGE DU LIVRE arcs along the upper border, with MONTOLIEU inscribed along the lower border, both in raised Latin characters. The engraver's signature C. CARDOT appears in small letters within the field above the central vignette. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central field bears the large stylized numeral '1' above the script legend 'ECU' in bold decorative lettering, with the inscription 'de Montolieu' in cursive script below, all set within a circle of twelve five-pointed stars evocative of the European Communities emblem. Two Occitan cross ornaments appear at either side within the border. The curved legend GRANDE FOIRE D'ETE arcs along the upper border, while the date 16 AU 21 JUILLET 1994 runs along the lower border, both in raised Latin capitals. |
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| Additional information |
Montolieu, a village of roughly 800 inhabitants in the Aude, reinvented itself in 1990 as a *village du livre* — a book village — on the model pioneered by Hay-on-Wye in Wales. The ecu issued here is part of a broader French regional currency movement that flourished briefly in the early 1990s, when dozens of localities struck brass tokens to drive local commerce and tourist trade ahead of the euro's eventual arrival. Montolieu's version was tied directly to its antiquarian booksellers, functioning as a redeemable scrip among participating shops.