1 Franc Charles de Gaulle

Issued to mark the centenary of de Gaulle's birth, this piece was part of a broader French state commemorative program authorized under the Chirac government. The Monnaie de Paris struck it in a limited proof run rather than for general circulation — it never functioned as a franc in any practical sense, despite the denomination.

The .920 fineness follows a traditional French gold standard carried over from 19th-century coinage practice, the same alloy specification used for the Napoléon 20-franc pieces.