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20 Euros Jean de La Fontaine
| Issuer | Monnaie de Paris |
|---|---|
| Year | 2021 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 31.104 g |
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| Obverse description | The obverse features a large quill feather dominating the central field, symbolising the art of writing. Surrounding the feather are four celebrated literary quotations rendered in cursive script: Voltaire's 'Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien', Dante Alighieri's 'Lasciate ogne speranza voi ch'intrate', Shakespeare's 'To be or not to be: that is the question', and Nietzsche's 'Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker'. The legend 'L'art de la plume' appears prominently, accompanied by the face value '20 €' and the national monogram 'RF'. |
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| Reverse script | Latin (cursive) |
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| Additional information |
La Fontaine's Fables — drawn heavily from Aesop and Phaedrus but recast in vernacular French verse — were published in twelve books between 1668 and 1694, dedicated initially to the six-year-old dauphin. The Monnaie de Paris issued this piece as part of its ongoing literary commemorative program, which has leaned hard into French canonical figures in the post-2010 period. La Fontaine spent years navigating the patronage system under Louis XIV, falling from favor after defending Nicolas Fouquet following the finance minister's arrest in 1661 — a loyalty that nearly ended his career entirely.