Issued as part of Monnaie de Paris's ongoing literary series celebrating French cultural figures, this piece commemorates the 1857 publication of Flaubert's novel — the same year its author was prosecuted for offenses against public morality. The trial ended in acquittal, and the book became an immediate sensation partly because of it.
The .920 fineness is characteristic of French gold coinage tradition rather than the more common .999 bullion standard, a deliberate nod to historical French monetary practice.
Issued as part of Monnaie de Paris's ongoing literary series celebrating French cultural figures, this piece commemorates the 1857 publication of Flaubert's novel — the same year its author was prosecuted for offenses against public morality. The trial ended in acquittal, and the book became an immediate sensation partly because of it.
The .920 fineness is characteristic of French gold coinage tradition rather than the more common .999 bullion standard, a deliberate nod to historical French monetary practice.