Coin Pièce France 0.5 franc Nickel 1969 A Paris

The 1969 Semeuse half-franc is a coin issued by the Monnaie de Paris, recognisable by the mint mark A, which identifies the Parisian striking site. This coin is part of the Semeuse franc series, established following the French monetary reform of 1960 that introduced the new franc.

The obverse of the coin depicts the Semeuse (Sower), an iconic allegorical figure of the French Republic, originally created by engraver Oscar Roty at the end of the 19th century. It shows a woman in profile, walking to the left, sowing seeds against the wind, with a rising sun in the background. The face value of 0.5 franc and the year of minting appear on the reverse of the coin.

Struck in nickel, this coin has the dimensional and weight characteristics specific to this monetary type: it has a diameter of 19.5 millimetres and a weight of 4.5 grams. Nickel, a silver-coloured metal, gives the coin good resistance to wear and corrosion.

The 1969 vintage corresponds to a particularly significant production year for this denomination. Indeed, the mintage reached 47,150,050 specimens, reflecting massive circulation in everyday monetary use at the time. Such a striking volume places this year among the standard issues of the series, with no particular rarity.

The face value of 50 centimes ? or half a franc ? positioned this coin as an everyday denomination, used in ordinary commercial transactions in France in the late 1960s. The Semeuse franc remained in circulation until the transition to the euro at the beginning of the 21st century.