France 2 Euro Bleuet de France Commemorative

The France 2 Euro Bleuet de France Commemorative is a bi-metallic circulating commemorative coin issued by France. Its French national side features the Bleuet de France — the cornflower that is France's national flower of remembrance, roughly the equivalent of the British poppy — while the other face carries the standard shared European design common to every 2 euro coin. The example shown here is a coin of this type.

Like all 2 euro commemoratives, it is legal tender throughout the eurozone and was made to circulate rather than solely for collectors, though many were saved in fine condition. It belongs to France's long series of themed 2 euro coins, each of which keeps the common European reverse but changes the national design to mark a person, place or event.

The coin is chiefly of interest as a remembrance and thematic collectible. As a modern circulation-quality commemorative it is affordable and widely available, with premiums reserved mainly for coins still in mint condition or in official sets.

France issued the Bleuet de France 2 euro in 2018 to mark the centenary of the 1918 Armistice that ended the First World War, and to honour the Bleuet de France, the charitable remembrance emblem founded in the war's aftermath to support veterans, war victims and their families. The cornflower was chosen because it grew on the battlefields of the Western Front and became a lasting symbol of memory and solidarity in France.

The piece is part of the eurozone's programme of national 2 euro commemoratives, introduced across the euro area from the mid-2000s onward, which allows each member state to issue a limited number of themed 2 euro coins per year. France's issues are struck by the Monnaie de Paris, the French state mint.

The coin was released both as a normal circulation strike, produced in large numbers and entering everyday change, and in higher-quality collector formats such as coincards and proof sets. This mix of circulation and collector issues is typical of modern French 2 euro commemoratives.

French national side (cornflower): a stylised Bleuet de France cornflower motif accompanied by the inscription BLEUET DE FRANCE, the letters RF for République Française, and the year, together with the small mint marks of the Monnaie de Paris — a mintmark and the engraver's privy mark placed near the design. This is the side that identifies the coin as this specific French commemorative.

Common European side (shown): the standard shared 2 euro design used by all eurozone countries — the large value 2, the word EURO, a map of Europe, and the ring of twelve stars. This side is identical to that of every other 2 euro coin and does not by itself indicate the country or theme.

Size and metal: a bi-metallic coin about 25.75 mm across, roughly 8.5 g, with a pale silver-coloured outer ring around a gold-coloured centre (cupronickel and nickel-brass). The two-tone construction plus the value 2 and twelve stars mark it as a 2 euro coin; the cornflower design and BLEUET DE FRANCE legend identify it as the French remembrance issue. The edge carries fine lettering, as on all 2 euro coins.

As a modern circulating commemorative made in large numbers, the Bleuet de France 2 euro is affordable. Well-worn or lightly circulated examples are typically worth little more than their face value and are collected mainly as thematic pieces.

Uncirculated coins in bright, unhandled condition carry a modest premium, and official collector formats — such as sealed coincards, brilliant uncirculated (BU) issues and proofs — sell for more, reflecting their finish and packaging rather than rarity. Condition, eye appeal and original packaging drive most of the price difference.

Because values shift with the collector market and depend on grade and format, treat any single figure as a rough guide. Compare recent sales of the same coin in comparable condition before buying or selling.