2 Francs

The aluminium-magnesium 2 Franc piece was introduced as France modernized its fractional coinage following the 1960 redenomination — the new franc having lopped two zeros off the old currency. By the late 1960s, rising metal costs had made heavier alloys economically impractical for low-denomination coins, pushing the Monnaie de Paris toward lightweight aluminium compositions across several values simultaneously. These pieces circulated heavily through the events of May 1968, when general strikes paralyzed much of French industry including, briefly, the mint itself.