2 francs FRANCE (1993) Jean Moulin

in the coin centre head of Jean Moulin in scarf and hat composed into the Cross of Lorraine; along the bottom edge year of issue 1993 and in two lines with concave lettering: JEAN / MOULIN; along the top edge: • RÉPUBLIQUE 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 1993; along the top edge motto of France: LIBERTE EGALITE FRATERNITE (liberty, equality, fraternity); frame in a shape of octagon

reeded

???  no data

18 II 2002

Émile Rousseau (initials ER on the right side of the obverse over lower arm of the cross)

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)

1993	30 000 011

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

The commemorative coin of 2 francs from 1993 was issued to mark the 50th anniversary of establishing the French Resistance (Résistance française), of which Jean Moulin (1898-1943) was a member and organizer. He died at the hands of the Germans during torture. The Cross of Lorraine was during the 2nd World War symbol of the Résistance. Below the logo of the organization.


photo: Gmandicourt; licence: CC-BY-SA 3.0

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.