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100 Francs Rene Descartes
| Issuer | Monnaie de Paris |
|---|---|
| Year | 1991 |
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| Engraver(s) | Andreas Gal |
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| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE 100 F A. GAL |
| Reverse description | A three-quarter facing portrait of the philosopher and mathematician René Descartes dominates the field, rendered in a bold, stylised low-relief manner. He is depicted with shoulder-length hair, a moustache, and a lace collar, consistent with 17th-century dress. A stack of books is visible to the lower left, alluding to his scholarly legacy. The Republican motto LIBERTE EGALITE FRATERNITE arcs along the upper periphery, while the name DESCARTES and the date 1991 appear in the lower exergue. |
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| Additional information |
Issued as part of France's long-running commemorative program, this piece marks the 395th anniversary of Descartes' birth — an oddly non-round milestone that reflected a scheduling decision tied to broader ministerial planning rather than any numerological significance. The French Treasury had by this point turned the 100 Francs silver commemorative format into a near-annual vehicle for cultural figures, with output quality varying considerably across the series.
Descartes died in Stockholm in 1650, likely of pneumonia, having been summoned by Queen Christina to tutor her at five in the morning — a schedule his famously delicate constitution could not survive.