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500 Francs / 75 Euros The Tour of Belem
| Issuer | Monnaie de Paris |
|---|---|
| Year | 1997 |
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| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
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| Obverse description | The obverse displays the large denomination numerals '500' prominently at center, with the dual-currency designation '75 euro' superimposed beneath in smaller characters, and the word 'FRANCS' inscribed below. A ring of twelve five-pointed stars, referencing the European Union, encircles the central denomination. The legend 'REPUBLIQUE' arcs across the upper field and 'FRANCAISE' along the lower field, together identifying the issuing state. The design is rendered in a clean, modern typographic style against a mirror-polished proof field. |
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Issued as part of France's transitional bimetallic commemorative program in the years immediately preceding euro adoption, this piece carries a dual denomination — 500 Francs and 75 Euros — reflecting the official fixed conversion rate established ahead of the single currency's 1999 launch. The franc side of that pairing would become legally obsolete within five years of striking.
The Tour de Belem itself is Portuguese, not French — its inclusion nods to the Lisbon-anchored symbolism favored by European federalists during the Maastricht ratification period, when shared monuments were politically convenient shorthand for continental unity.