10 francs FRANCE (1965-1973)

in the coin centre in two lines face value: 10 / FRANCS, below year of issue; all this surrounded by a wreath of laurel and oak branches; along the left edge: RÉPUBLIQUE, along the right one: FRANÇAISE * (French Republic); ring of cones at the edge

in the coin centre figure of Hercules en face between godesses of Liberty and Justice; along the top edge motto of France: LIBERTÉ ÉGALITÉ FRATERNITÉ (liberty, equality, fraternity); ring of cones at the edge

plain with convex symbols of agriculture, industry and services of France

9 I 1965

20 II 1980

Atelier de gravure (group of designers of the Paris Mint) based on design of Augustin Dupré (stylised signature DUPRÉ below Hercules in the reverse), Raymond Joly (edge)

La Monnaie de Paris (The Paris Mint), Paris (until 1972) or Pessac (1973) (mint mark on the bottom of the obverse on the left, on the right privy mark of mint's director Raymond Joly - owl)

1965	8 050 500	+ 35 000 in annual boxed sets
1966	9 799 500	+ 7 171 in annual boxed sets
1967	10 099 500	+ 2 305 in annual boxed sets
1968	3 884 400	+ 3 000 in annual boxed sets
1969	754 500	+ 6 050 in annual boxed sets
1970	4 798 500	+ 10 000 in annual boxed sets
1971	501 000	+ 12 000 in annual boxed sets
1972	900 000	+ 15 000 in annual boxed sets
1973	127 500	+ 79 000 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

Hercules designed by Augustin Dupré has been appearing on French coins since 1796.

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.