Commemorative 100 Francs Eiffel Tower

The 1989 French 100 Francs coin was struck to mark the exact centennial of the Eiffel Tower's completion in 1889, using .900 fine silver planchets sourced from the Monnaie de Paris.

That makes it a straightforward tribute, with the obverse featuring a detailed engraving of the tower as it stood back then, lattice work and all. The reverse includes a more abstract design, possibly symbolizing progress, though records on the artist's intent are murky.

We don't know the precise mintage; official figures might have been misplaced in some bureaucratic shuffle. Still, it circulated widely enough that examples turn up in collections without much fuss.

Plenty of myths swirl around these coins, like them being "rare finds," but that's just collector hype. They were meant as keepsakes, not treasures.