Coin France 10 Centimes Marianne - 1993 - Proof

In 1993, France was still fully living in the era of the franc. Vending machines, telephone booths, bakeries, and parking meters daily swallowed thousands of small 10 centimes Marianne coins, while the euro was still just a distant project for the majority of French people.

However, this modest currency already belonged to the final decade of the franc.

Minted under the Fifth Republic, the 10 centimes Marianne Lagriffoul type has been in circulation since 1962, following the "new franc" monetary reform. Its design, which became familiar to several generations, would survive until the definitive disappearance of the franc in February 2002.

On the obverse, we find the profile of Marianne wearing the Phrygian cap, a timeless symbol of the French Republic. The work is signed by sculptor Henri Lagriffoul.

On the reverse, engraver Adrien Dieudonné depicts the face value surrounded by an ear of wheat, an olive branch, and the motto:

« Liberté ? Égalité ? Fraternité »

A sober composition, designed to last... and which would endure nearly forty years of circulation.