Issued on the centenary of the 1916 battle, this coin marks one of the longest and most destructive engagements of the First World War — roughly 300 days of combat that consumed an estimated 700,000 casualties between French and German forces. The Monnaie de Paris produced this as part of a broader centenary series commemorating the major battles and turning points of the war.
The .920 fineness is characteristic of French commemorative gold issues of this period, a standard that dates to nineteenth-century Latin Monetary Union conventions still loosely observed in French mint practice.
Issued on the centenary of the 1916 battle, this coin marks one of the longest and most destructive engagements of the First World War — roughly 300 days of combat that consumed an estimated 700,000 casualties between French and German forces. The Monnaie de Paris produced this as part of a broader centenary series commemorating the major battles and turning points of the war.
The .920 fineness is characteristic of French commemorative gold issues of this period, a standard that dates to nineteenth-century Latin Monetary Union conventions still loosely observed in French mint practice.