10 francs FRANCE (1982) Léon Gambetta

below coin centre in two lines face value: 10 / FRANCS; in the background five Colours, above a balloon; along the top edge in three lines motto of France: FRATERNITÉ / ÉGALITÉ / LIBERTÉ (fraternity equality liberty); along the bottom edge: RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE (French Republic) divided by year of issue 1982

in the coin centre bust of Gambetta facing left; along the left edge in two lines: LÉON GAMBETTA / 1838-1882

plain

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1 VII 1993

Émile Rousseau (initials ER behind Gambetta's neck in the reverse)

La Monnaie de Paris (The Paris Mint), Pessac (mint mark before year of issue 1982 in the obverse, after year of issue privy mark of designer and mint's director Émile Rousseau - dolphin)

1982

3 044 511

+ 27 500 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

The commemorative coin of 10 francs from 1982 commemorates the 100th anniversary of death of Leon Gambetta (1838-1882) - French politician, Prime Minister of the Third Republic, which he proclaimed. Using a balloon Gambetta escaped from Paris besieged by the Germans during the Franco-Prussian War (hence the balloon motif on the coin).



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.