2 euro cent FRANCE (from 1999)

in the coin centre personification of France - head of Marianne facing slightly left; on the right stylised letters: RF (RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE - French Republic); below year of issue; at the edge a ring of twelve five-pointed stars - symbol of the European Union

left from the coin centre face value: 2, on the top right in two lines: EURO / CENT; below the globe with a view to Europe; in the background diagonally six parallel lines ending on both sides with five-pointed stars (the reverse is common for all euro coins)

plain with a groove in the middle

1 I 2002

in circulation

Fabienne Courtiade (signature F.COURTIADE along the edge after year of issue in the obverse), Luc Luycx (initials LL on the right side of the globe in the reverse)

La Monnaie de Paris (The Paris Mint), Pessac (mint mark above the first digits of year of issue in the obverse, above the last digits of year of issue privy mark of mint's director Pierre Rodier - bee - in years 1999-2000, or Gérard Buquoy - horseshoe - in years 2001-2002, or Serge Levet - heart - in 2003, or Hubert Larivière - horn - in years 2004-2010, or Yves Sampo - rosette - from 2011)

1999	702 069 000	bee	+ 35 000 in annual boxed sets
2000	510 120 000	bee	+ 35 000 in annual boxed sets
2001	249 066 580	horseshoe	+ 35 000 in annual boxed sets
2002	9 000	horseshoe	+ 165 290 in annual boxed sets
2003	160 389 000	heart	+ 242 342 in annual boxed sets
2004	300 024 000	horn	+ 160 000 in annual boxed sets
2005	260 187 000	horn	+ 120 000 in annual boxed sets
2006	283 177 500	horn	+ 80 000 in annual boxed sets
2007	213 222 000	horn	+ 60 000 in annual boxed sets
2008	386 532 000	horn	+ 60 000 in annual boxed sets
2009	343 120 000	horn	+ 60 000 in annual boxed sets
2010	277 000 000	horn	+ 55 500 in annual boxed sets
2011	250 000 000	rosette	+ 45 500 in annual boxed sets
2012	278 000 000	rosette	+ 42 000 in annual boxed sets
2013	218 000 000	rosette	+ 28 000 in annual boxed sets
2014	210 000 000	rosette	+ 28 000 in annual boxed sets
2015	199 000 000	rosette	+ 28 000 in annual boxed sets

Privy marks of the general engravers of the Mint of Paris, which can be found on French coins produced after 1944:

Lucien Bazor	1931-1958		wing
Raymond Joly	1958-1974		owl
Emile Rousseau	1974-1994		dolphin
Pierre Rodier	1994-2000		bee
Gérard Buquoy	2001-2002		horseshoe
Serge Levet	2003		heart
Hubert Larivière	2004-2010		horn
Yves Sampo	from 2011		rosette

Marianne - the allegory of Liberty - the symbol of the culture and the national emblem of France. Her images adorn not only coins, but also stamps, state seals, institutions logos, courts of law. Marianne is presented mostly in the Phrygian cap (cap of liberty). Many monuments and paintings were devoted to her. She is often armed leading the French people to fight for liberty, equality and fraternity. Marianne's image changed over the years. Anonymous Marianne was represented by faces of movie stars such as Brigitte Bardot or Catherine Deneuve. Below the official logo of France and the French government.



The Paris Mint (La Monnaie de Paris) dating back to the 6th century is the oldest French institution, and some would say - oldest institution in the world. The mint office is located in the center of Paris in a complex called Hotel des Monnaies, which was opened on December 20, 1775. A cornucopia is the symbol placed on any coin minted by the Paris Mint from January 1, 1880. The second character visible on coins was a symbol of the general engraver (Graveur general). The tradition of this job dates back to 1547 when Henry II of Valois appointed a general engraver as the only person authorized to create the king's portrait. Only the design prepared by the general engraver could have been copied to the coins stamps in national mints. Starting from 2001, the heads of engravers workshop in the Paris Mint do not hold this traditional title anymore, but their privy marks still appear on French coins next to the mint mark.

The name of the French mint - La Monnaie de Paris - suggests that the plant producing coins is located in the French capital. This is however, only the company name and factories were placed in various French cities. At the moment, the only place producing coins of France (and of some other countries) is Pessac near Bordeaux.