2 francs FRANCE (1979-2001)

in coin centre personification of France - figure of Marianne in Phrygian cap sowing cereal leftwards (La Semeuse), in the background the Sun hidden mostly below the horizon; along the left edge: REPUBLIQUE, along the right: FRANÇAISE (French Republic); frame in a shape of octagon

in the coin centre in two lines face value: 2 / FRANCS; in the background crossed olive and oak branches; below year of issue; along the top edge motto of France: LIBERTE EGALITE FRATERNITE (liberty, equality, fraternity); frame in a shape of octagon

reeded

24 III 1978

18 II 2002

Atelier de gravure (group of designers of the Paris Mint) based on design of Louis Oscar Roty (inscription D'APRÉS O.ROTY on the bottom of the obverse)

La Monnaie de Paris (The Paris Mint), Pessac (mint mark before year of issue in the reverse, after year of issue privy mark of mint's director Emile Rousseau - dolphin - in years 1979-1994, Pierre Rodier - bee - in years 1994-2000 or Gérard Buquoy - horseshoe - in 2001)

1979	130 000 011	dolphin	+ 40 500 in annual boxed sets
1980	99 950 011	dolphin	+ 60 000 in annual boxed sets
1981	119 974 011	dolphin	+ 26 000 in annual boxed sets
1982	89 975 011	dolphin	+ 27 500 in annual boxed sets
1983	89 986 011	dolphin	+ 16 561 in annual boxed sets
1984	36 511	dolphin	+ 13 836 in annual boxed sets
1985	7 511	dolphin	+ 12 500 in annual boxed sets
1986	-	dolphin	+ 15 000 in annual boxed sets
1987	81 011	dolphin	+ 11 956 in annual boxed sets
1988	85 011	dolphin	+ 10 565 in annual boxed sets
1989	83 011	dolphin	+ 11 438 in annual boxed sets
1990	5 011	dolphin	+ 10 000 in annual boxed sets
1991	2 511	dolphin	+ 2 500 in annual boxed sets
1992	65 011	dolphin	+ 2 698 in annual boxed sets
1993	20 011	dolphin	+ 3 095 in annual boxed sets
1994	9 970 111	dolphin
1994	-	bee	+ 3 707 in annual boxed sets
1995	15 011	bee	+ 4 000 in annual boxed sets
1996	11 975 013	bee	+ 5 000 in annual boxed sets
1997	9 975 013	bee	+ 15 000 in annual boxed sets
1998	45 000 013	bee	+ 25 000 in annual boxed sets
1999	-	bee	+ 25 000 in annual boxed sets
2000	25 000 013	bee	+ 100 000 in annual boxed sets
2001	-	horseshoe	+ 125 000 in annual boxed sets

In years 1991, 1992 and 1993 there exist coins with reverses not rotated by 180° in respect to obverses (medal alignment in American terminology) - 2500, 2698 and 3095 pieces were produced in respective years and placed in annual boxed sets;

1994 - coins with a privy mark of mint's director Emile Rousseau dolphin or with the privy mark of Pierre Rodier bee (placed only 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.