5 francs FRANCE (1994) Voltaire

in the coin centre head of French writer facing slightly right; along the top edge: • RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE • (French Republic); along the bottom edge: 1964 VOLTAIRE 1978

in the coin centre a quill, below signature of Voltaire; in the background Panteon in Paris - burial place of the writer, on the right face value: 5 F (FRANCS - francs); on top year of issue 1994; along the top edge motto of France: LIBERTÉ • ÉGALITÉ • FRATERNITÉ (liberty, equality, fraternity)

reeded

???  no data

18 II 2002

Atelier de gravure (group of designers of the Paris Mint - rosette - at Voltaire's ear in the obverse) based on design of Jean-Antoine Houdon

La Monnaie de Paris (The Paris Mint), Pessac (mint mark below letter "O" in VOLTAIRE in the reverse, below "R" in VOLTAIRE privy mark of mint's director Pierre Rodier - bee)

1994	15 000 031

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 5 francs from 1994 commemorates the 300th anniversary of birth of Voltaire (actually François-Marie Arouet - 1694-1778) - French writer of the Enlightenment. Below the sculpture of Voltaire by Jean-Antoine Houdon from the late 18th century.


photo: 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.