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 Replies: 14 / Views: 7,528 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
731 Posts |
I hope this is the proper subforum for this enquiry.
Can anyone advise the specific years which French coins were modified to pursuant to German occupation?
Also, could someone advise if Belgium coins were also modified, and if so, the years as well?
Thanks, kindly.
CheetahCats
Moved to World Coins section
-GO
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
731 Posts |
Thanks. I will take note of the relo.
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Pillar of the Community
Germany
1238 Posts |
The French coins that are different due to the occupation are the pieces issued by the Vichy regime. Instead of the "regular" inscriptions ("Republique Française" and "Liberte - egalite - Fraternite") they would say "etat Français" and "Travail - Famille - Patrie". The denominations were 10 centimes 1941-44; 20c 1941-44; 50c 1942-44; 1 franc 1942-44; 2 francs 1942-44. (The 5 fr piece dated 1941 did not actually circulate.)
As for Belgium, the main criterion is that the occupation coins are zinc pieces. However, Belgium continued to make them for some times after 1945: Except for the low (5c, 10c) denominations, they were produced until 1947.
Christian
Edited by chrisild
02/10/2010 05:16 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
731 Posts |
Christian -
Thanks for the prompt reply and information. I appreciate. it.
CheetahCats
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Moderator
 Australia
16827 Posts |
I assume you're just talking about WWII. Most of Belgium was also occupied by Germany during WWI (1915-1918) and a distinctive series of German occupation coinage was issued for there at that time, too.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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Pillar of the Community
United States
731 Posts |
Thanks Sap. I should have clarified. Yes WWII.
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Valued Member
United States
365 Posts |
Just a side note to this matter of occupation coinage: what I've seen of the French denominations tends to be very poor. Finding a high-grade example is actually rather tough, for two reasons: the original mintage quality was very low, with many many examples exhibiting bubbling on the surfaces. Since their mintage in the 40s, these coins immediately began to oxidize, and their weak metal composition seems destined to an imminent disintegration.
It doesn't help that many numismatists don't recognize the white rot on these coins for what it is; I've seen dealers trying to sell examples with large white spots, and pass them off as just something that will 'come off'. (If and when it does come off, it's part of the coin coming off, so...) Storing them with other coins hastens their degradation; for the same reasons you won't find a good one in any buckets.
On the bright side, if you do find AU/Uncs, take good care of 'em, because their rarity is guaranteed to increase!
I have a hunch that the larger denomination aluminum issues-- the 1FF, 2FF, 5FF--are similarly ill-destined. Their huge mintage numbers belie the fact that MS examples that are corrosion-free are actually pretty tough.
But who doesn't like a challenge? ;)
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Pillar of the Community
United States
731 Posts |
SeriousCeres -> I noticed both the bubbling and the white blemishes on the coins that I browsed through... I suspected when I saw them that it had something to do with the minting qualit & metal composition. Thanks for clarifying!
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Valued Member
Australia
432 Posts |
On the subject of other countries who's issues were influenced by WW2, off the top of my head Norway, Netherlands, Poland (Generalgouvernment) and Denmark also experienced changes to their coinage. Austria, Danzig and other Germanic Regions bordering the Reich had their currency integrated with the Reichsmark currency..
One of my little sidelines are these 'occupation' and 'integration' types (by 'integration' I am talking about things like the Austrian 1 and 2Gr, Danzig 1 to 10Pfg, etc, that circulated as the equivalent Reichspfennig denomination)...
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Rest in Peace
United States
2668 Posts |
Great thread! I have collected Japanese Occupation currency and Guerrilla currency from WWII, but haven't ventured into such European coinage, yet. Good info, here.  |
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Pillar of the Community
Philippines
1156 Posts |
I have those coins but didnt knew they where from two regimes:
the "Republique" Française for the free France and the "etat" Français for the German occupied France.
Graet info, thanks chrisild!
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Pillar of the Community
Germany
1238 Posts |
Wait wait wait.  During much of WW2 there was no "free" France. The country was attacked and then controlled by Nazi Germany (1940-44), and basically divided into two parts - the North/West (under German occupation) and the South/East (with the Vichy regime). The latter was called etat Français, and basically a puppet regime. It had its own governmental structures, first "tolerated" but the area was occupied by German and Italian forces (in '42) too. Now that applies to Europe (France Metropolitaine). Things were a little different in the overseas territories; especially in northern Africa where the Forces Françaises Libres fought on the side of the allies and of Charles de Gaulle's exile government. Christian Edited by chrisild
02/13/2010 10:19 am
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New Member
Paraguay
19 Posts |
These are from my collection: ***Edited by Staff - Please Review the rules that you agreed to when you registered. ***(Still haven't figured how to upload pictures)  To post remote images...
[img]img url here[/img] |
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New Member
Paraguay
19 Posts |
Ok, sorry for the other previous post. Here are:  10 C  20 C  50 C  1 F  2 F |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
731 Posts |
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Replies: 14 / Views: 7,528 |
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Posted 02/10/2010 05:14 am
