100 Francs Statue of Liberty

Issued by France to mark the centennial of the Statue of Liberty's dedication, this coin arrived the same year as the official centenary celebrations on October 28, 1986 — exactly one hundred years after Bartholdi's gift from the French people was unveiled in New York Harbor. France's participation in the commemorative program was not merely symbolic; the statue had been a French initiative from the outset, conceived by Édouard de Laboulaye and funded through public subscription on both sides of the Atlantic.

The .950 fineness is notably higher than France's standard silver coinage of the period.