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500 Francs Liberty
| Issuer | Monnaie de Paris |
|---|---|
| Year | 1993 |
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| Composition | Gold (.999) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Detailed view of the Louvre Museum's classical façade depicted in high relief occupying the upper half of the field, with the iconic modern glass Pyramid by I. M. Pei prominently featured in the foreground. The commemorative legend 'BICENTENAIRE DU MUSÉE DU LOUVRE' is inscribed in three lines along the upper border. The date '1993' appears in the lower field to the right of the pyramid, and the denomination '500 F' is incuse along the lower rim. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The 1993 500 Francs Liberty was part of a larger French commemorative program tied to the bicentennial of the Louvre's conversion into a public museum — a project that also coincided with the completion of I.M. Pei's controversial glass pyramid. At 155.52 grams of fine gold, the piece is essentially a five-troy-ounce bullion coin dressed in commemorative clothing, issued at a time when France was aggressively expanding its prestige coin program through the Monnaie de Paris.
Mintages for this series were tightly controlled, and secondary market premiums have historically tracked the gold spot price more closely than collector demand — a persistent feature of large-format French issues from this decade.