2 francs Guynemer Essai nickel

Georges Guynemer, the French ace credited with 54 confirmed aerial victories before his disappearance over Poelkapelle in September 1917, had already appeared on French coinage decades earlier. This 1997 essai — a trial strike produced by the Monnaie de Paris for collector and archival purposes rather than circulation — was issued as part of the final wave of franc-denominated pieces before the euro transition rendered the entire series obsolete within five years.