10 Dinars 2004 Coup d'état 17th Anniversary, French legend

Tunisia's "coup d'état" commemoratives are unusual in that the government used that precise term — openly, on official coinage — to describe Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's removal of President Bourguiba on November 7, 1987. Ben Ali declared Bourguiba medically unfit, backed by a disputed doctor's certificate, and assumed the presidency without bloodshed. Minting anniversary issues in both Arabic and French legends was standard practice for the Banque Centrale through this series, making the bilingual split a cataloging distinction rather than a rarity factor.