ECU Europa; 9 countries; gold

The 1979 ECU Europa series was issued to commemorate the launch of the European Monetary System and the introduction of the ECU as an accounting currency — a politically charged moment in which nine member states agreed to peg their currencies within defined exchange rate bands. The Monnaie de Paris produced these in limited quantities, sold largely to institutional buyers and collectors rather than circulating through any banking system.

The .920 gold fineness is a deliberate nod to historic French coinage standards rather than the more common .900 used elsewhere.