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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;chrisild, post: 39138, member: 39&quot;]They are made in Pessac, near Bordeaux. Production of the euro and cent coins started in May 1998. But the French pieces only show &quot;1999&quot; and later, since Jan-1999 was when the euro was launched as a currency unit.</p><p><br /></p><p>(Other mints also started making euro coins in 1998 but picked 2002 as the earliest year appearing on the coins, because Jan-2002 was when the euro cash became legal tender.)</p><p><br /></p><p>As you will have noticed, the French circulation coins do not have the full country name, just the abbreviation &quot;RF&quot;. On the 1, 2 and 5 cent coins, designed by Fabienne Courtiade, you see Marianne (symbolizing freedom and the republic <a href="http://www.elysee.fr/ang/instit/symb6.htm" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.elysee.fr/ang/instit/symb6.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.elysee.fr/ang/instit/symb6.htm</a> ). The 10, 20 and 50 ct pieces show the Sower (Semeuse, an allegory of fertility); this &quot;updated version&quot; was designed by Laurent Jorio. The 1 and 2 euro coins designed by Joaquím Jiménez show a hexagon with a tree (symbol of life). If you look at a map, you will note that France vaguely resembles a hexagon ...</p><p><br /></p><p>Christian[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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