The 1987 écu gold commemorative marks Spain and Portugal's accession to the European Communities on 1 January 1986 — the largest single enlargement the bloc had achieved to that point, bringing membership from ten to twelve nations. France issued this piece under the broader Europa coin program, a multinational series launched in 1961 by a consortium of European mints to promote integration through collector coinage before such symbolism became routine policy.
The .920 fineness is a deliberate throwback to the old Latin Monetary Union standard, which France, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland had formally abandoned decades earlier.
The 1987 écu gold commemorative marks Spain and Portugal's accession to the European Communities on 1 January 1986 — the largest single enlargement the bloc had achieved to that point, bringing membership from ten to twelve nations. France issued this piece under the broader Europa coin program, a multinational series launched in 1961 by a consortium of European mints to promote integration through collector coinage before such symbolism became routine policy.
The .920 fineness is a deliberate throwback to the old Latin Monetary Union standard, which France, Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland had formally abandoned decades earlier.