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Wartime coins of occupied France (Set of 6). Aluminum

Currency:INR Category:Coins & Paper Money / World Coins - World Start Price:1,700.00 INR Estimated At:1,200.00 INR and UP
Wartime coins of occupied France (Set of 6). Aluminum
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Wartime coins of occupied France (Set of 6). Aluminum. With its motto of 'Liberty, Equality and Fraternity', the Republic of France is synonymous with modern democracy. The Goddess of Liberty is a leitmotif of France. But the second world war changed all that. The history of the war is reflected in the coinage of France. Presented here is a set of 6 coins of 1 Franc denomination sorted year-wise from 1941-45. The 1941 coin minted before the fall of France has all the hallmarks of the Republic of France: the motto on the obverse and the effigy of the Goddess of Liberty on the reverse. After the fall of France, the coins minted in 1942-44 the obverse sports the motto 'Travail, Familie, Patrie' (meaning Work, Family, and Fatherland- the Nazi concept of society). On the reverse, the effigy of the Goddess of Liberty is replaced by an industrial motif underlining the importance of industrial production for the war effort. France is reduced to 'Etat' France, meaning a subdivision of the main (Nazi) German administration, somewhat akin to a State within a country. However, soon after the liberation of France in 1944, the coinage goes back to the motif of the Republic. There are thus two coins of 1944- pre and post-liberation. The coin of 1945 continues the trend of free France.