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2 Francs
| Issuer | Monnaie de Paris |
|---|---|
| Year | 1948-1949 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Draped bust of Marianne facing left, her hair elaborately coiffed and adorned with a winged helmet in the classical tradition, as engraved by Bazor. Ships are depicted in the background field behind the bust, evoking the maritime character of the colony. The engraver's signature L.BAZOR appears at the lower left of the truncation, with the initials GB to the lower right. The date appears in the exergue below the bust. The encircling legend REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE UNION FRANÇAISE runs along the outer rim. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
France emerged from occupation and liberation with its monetary system in disarray. The provisional government faced acute metal shortages, and aluminium — long considered unsuitable for coinage due to its tendency to wear rapidly and jam vending mechanisms — became the only practical option for subsidiary denominations. These 1948–1949 pieces were struck under the Fourth Republic, established just two years prior after the referendum of October 1946.
The alloy choice proved controversial enough that the type was abandoned relatively quickly in favor of more durable compositions, keeping circulated survivors in genuinely rough condition.