If you’re heading to France today, you’ll use the euro as the country’s official currency. France switched to the euro in 2000, leaving behind centuries of its old currency, the franc.
Although the franc is still used in some territories, it’s no longer the main currency in France. But if you find the right old French coin, you might just strike it rich!
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French coins have a long and fascinating history. In fact, the first franc was created way back in 1360 by King Jean II Le Bon. The coin was originally used as ransom money to free the king, who was captured by England’s King Edward III.
Fast forward to around 300 years later, King Louis XII replaced the franc with other coins like the silver ecu and gold Louis. But people continued to use the term “franc” for many years after. Under the rule of Louis XIV, many wars led to a coin shortage, making coins from that time quite rare and valuable today.
By 1726, the government revived the financial system, creating new gold Louis coins. At the end of the 18th century, the franc was brought back, with a law defining its exact weight and composition—4.5 grams of silver and 0.5 grams of alloy. The first 1-franc coin was minted in 1795.
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Nowadays, collectors treasure French coins, especially those from before the 1800s. Some of the most valuable ones can fetch up to hundreds of thousands of dollars! Here’s a list of the 13 most valuable French coins, according to CoinValueLookup:
- 1640 Louis XIII 10 Louis d’Or – valued at $456,000
- 1670 Louis XIV 15 Sols – worth around $132,000
- 1803 Napoleon Gold Proof Medallic Essai “Paris Mint Visit” 5 Francs – $95,000
- 1270 Louis IX Royal d’Or de Noyon – $60,000
- 1646 Louis XIV Double Louis d’Or – $56,000
- 1815 Napoleon “100 Days” 5 Francs – $24,000
- 1641 Louis XIII Gold 2 Louis d’Or – $19,000
- 1722 Louis XV Gold Coronation Token – $18,000
- 1724 Louis XV Double Louis d’Or “Mirliton” – $17,600
- 1867 Napoleon III Gold Proof Essai 25 Francs – $16,000
- 1357 Aquitaine, Edward III, Gold Leopard d’Or – $15,000
- 1815 Napoleon “100 Days” 2 Francs – $12,000
- 1720 Louis XV Gold Louis d’Or – $9,600