ObverseImage: Wikimedia Commons · Augustin Dupré · CC BY-SA 4.0
2 Decimes
France
1795–1815
Reference data compiled from public catalogs
Specifications
| Country | France |
| Years Minted | 1795–1815 |
| Composition | Billon |
| Weight | 5 g |
| Diameter | 23 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
Design
Obverse
Features the denomination and year within a laurel wreath.
Reverse
Displays the inscription 'RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE' with republican symbols.
History & Notable Facts
The 2 decimes coin marked France's bold shift to a decimal currency in 1795, dividing the franc into tenths for easier trade. This small copper piece, worth two-tenths of a franc, helped standardize transactions in a nation reeling from revolution.
Struck at the Paris mint from recycled billon and copper, it often bore simple designs like a wreath or liberty cap, reflecting the era's austerity. Production varied yearly, but records from 1795 to 1815 are patchy, with many lost in administrative chaos. We know it circulated widely, from markets to soldiers' pay, yet few survived due to its everyday wear.
Exact mintage figures remain elusive; estimates suggest hundreds of thousands, but that's guesswork. For a coin so humble, it's endured longer than some emperors.
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