3 Euro - Le Havre Piedfort issue

The 3 euro denomination existed only between 1996 and 1997, issued by the Monnaie de Paris as part of a regional series celebrating French cities ahead of the euro changeover. Le Havre's inclusion acknowledged its standing as one of France's principal Atlantic ports, rebuilt almost entirely by Auguste Perret after Allied bombing in 1944 — a reconstruction later recognized by UNESCO.

The piedfort format, struck at twice normal planchet thickness, traces its French origins to medieval weight standards used to verify coin integrity. This piece weighs roughly double its standard-strike counterpart.