Lady Liberty Around The World

Lovely start....

Marianne is probably the best known French representation of Liberty. She is also the personification of the French republic and of the freedom of the French people. The first time she appears on French coins is in 1795, at the time of the 1st republic. She then reappears during the 2nd to 5th republics - but not during the 1st and 2nd empires or the restored monarchy in the early 1800s ...

Here is her first appearance, on a 5 centimes coin from the first issue of coins in the franc system 1795 (year 4 according to the revolutionary calendar):



A 2nd republic Marianne, 1 centime 1848:



The 3rd republic Mariannes are my favorites. Here are a five different ones, in different denominations:

Nice one, @Numister

While Marianne is the best known French symbol of Liberty, she was not first. The first time Liberty appears on French coinage is on the necessity money emitted 1791-92, by the Monneron brothers and others. This was during the constitutional monarchy, that lasted a few years following the revolution of 1789, and the official government money still had the effigy of king Louis XVI. The necessity moneys were minted by private actors and so could choose motives more freely. Revolutionary inspired designs probably appealed to the freedom-minded public and representations of Liberty occured on several issues.

This is one, with Liberty holding a tablet with the text DROITS DE L'HOMME ARTIC. V., "Rights of Man, article 5." Article 5 states that "The law has the right to prohibit only those actions which are harmful to society. Anything which is not forbidden by the law cannot be prevented." Minting by private actors was not expressly forbidden by the law in 1791 (it was in 1792), so it may have been interesting for the Monneron brothers to point that out.

Three more French examples from the silver 100 franc coins issued by the Fifth Republic...

Statue of Liberty centenary:


Liberty based on 19th-century pattern by Barre:


Liberty on the barricades (from painting by Delacroix):

1930 Uruguay 1o centavos:

You can tell it was designed by Morlon, who also did the 'Marianne' head used on French coins from 1931 to 1959: