50 Euros Georges Pompidou Center

Issued to mark the Centre Pompidou's 33rd anniversary — an odd choice of date that reflects less a planned commemorative program than an opportunistic tie-in with the museum's temporary exhibitions calendar for 2010. The Centre itself opened in January 1977 after years of political controversy; many Parisians despised the Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers design on sight, and the building faced serious opposition from preservationists throughout construction.

The .920 fineness is characteristic of Monnaie de Paris gold issues of this period, slightly below the .999 fine used for bullion, which places this squarely in the collectible rather than investment category.