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50 Euros Year of the Monkey
| Issuer | Monnaie de Paris |
|---|---|
| Year | 2016 |
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| Currency | Euro (2002-date) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse features a portrait of the celebrated French fabulist Jean de la Fontaine, positioned prominently within the field. Surrounding his effigy, the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac are arranged in a decorative frieze, linking French literary heritage with the traditions of the Chinese calendar. The denomination '50 EURO' and the date '2016' appear in the legend, along with the inscription 'FABLES DE LA FONTAINE', referencing La Fontaine's famous collection of fables in which animals play central allegorical roles. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Part of the Monnaie de Paris lunar series issued for the Chinese market, this coin was struck under a long-running agreement to produce official French-issue gold pieces keyed to the twelve-year zodiac cycle. France has no domestic cultural claim to the lunar calendar, but demand from collectors in China and the diaspora made these commercially viable enough to sustain the series across multiple cycles.
The .920 fineness is a deliberate nod to 22-karat coin gold — the same standard used in French Napoléons — rather than the .999 fine gold favored by most modern bullion issues.