France 1954 100 francs

from the Mountain Groan Collection

This specimen is a commonest date of a type struck at the Paris and Beaumont-le-Roger mints 1954-58 under the French Fourth Republic (1946-59). The inflation triggered by the devastation wreaked by World War Two continued thru the 1950's, forcing the regime to strike coins in ever higher denominations. It is a far cry from the magnificent gold coin of the Third Republic. The new franc which replaced it in 1960 with the inauguration of the Fifth Republic was equal to this coin and was struck to this standard. This type was not demonetized until 1966.

Recorded mintage: 97,285,500.

Specification: 6 g, copper-nickel, 24 mm diameter, designed by Robert Cochet (1903-88).

Catalog reference: F.450/2, KM 919.1.

Source:

• Gadoury, Victor, Monnaies Françaises, 1789-2019, 24me éd., Monaco: Éditions Victor Gadoury, 2019.
• Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1901-2000, 47th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
• Prieur, Michel, and Laurent Schmitt, Le Franc 10: Les Monnaies, Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers, 2014.

Link to:

• 1904-A 100 francs
• 1954 10 francs
• 1954-B 20 francs
• 1954 50 francs
• 1955 100 francs
• Coins and currency dated 1954