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100 Euros Benjamin Franklin
| Issuer | Monnaie de Paris |
|---|---|
| Year | 2006 |
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| Composition | Gold (.999) |
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| Obverse description | The obverse presents a finely detailed bust of Benjamin Franklin facing left, rendered in high relief against a mirror-polished field divided into geometric panels with vertical striations. To the right of the portrait, a vignette depicts Franklin's famous kite-and-key lightning experiment, with a stylized lightning bolt and a kite in the storm clouds, referencing his pioneering work in electricity. The name 'Benjamin FRANKLIN' appears as an arc across the upper field, with the commemorative dates '1706-2006' inscribed vertically to the right. Below the portrait, the legend 'AMI DE LA FRANCE' is inscribed in the lower panel, with the Republican monogram 'RF' prominently displayed beneath it. |
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| Edge | Smooth |
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This piece belongs to the Monnaie de Paris "Les Grands Hommes" series, which paired French institutional prestige with figures who shaped transatlantic history. Franklin is a logical inclusion — he spent roughly nine years in Paris across two postings, charmed the Bourbon court into backing American independence, and negotiated the 1783 Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War. The French public genuinely adored him; his likeness appeared on snuffboxes and medallions sold across the city during his lifetime.
The 155.55g fine gold specification places this in the half-troy-pound category favored by several European mints for prestige issues of this period.