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20 francs Pierre de Coubertin essai
| Issuer | Monnaie de Paris |
|---|---|
| Year | 1994 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 20 Francs (20 FRF) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Central field displays the facade of the Sorbonne building in Paris rendered in fine line engraving, occupying the left and lower portions of the inner core. To the upper right, the denomination 20F appears in large numerals, with the five interlocking Olympic rings below and to the right, referencing the centenary of the modern Olympic Games. The commemorative dual dates 1894 / 1994 are inscribed in the lower right field. The legend LIBERTÉ·ÉGALITÉ·FRATERNITÉ arcs along the upper periphery of the outer ring in raised Latin letters. |
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| Additional information |
Pierre de Coubertin's connection to the 20-franc denomination is appropriately timed: the coin appeared in 1994, the centenary year of the IOC's founding in Paris. The essai designation places this piece outside normal circulation — French trial strikes of this period were produced in controlled quantities for official approval and collector distribution through the Monnaie de Paris, never intended to pass through commerce.
The trimetallic format itself was relatively new to French coinage in the mid-1990s, introduced with the bimetallic 10-franc series and then pushed further with three-component construction on the 20-franc pieces.