France 20 Centimes

The France 20 Centimes is a small everyday circulation coin of the French Fifth Republic, worth twenty centimes — one-fifth of a French franc. The example shown here is dated 2000, one of the final years the type was struck before France adopted the euro.

Its obverse carries a profile of Marianne, the female personification of the French Republic, alongside the legend RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE. The reverse states the value 20 CENTIMES framed by a laurel branch. The coin is struck in a warm gold-colored alloy (an aluminum-bronze that reads as brass to the eye), giving it a bright appearance distinct from France's silvery franc coins.

Because it was produced in very large numbers over roughly four decades and carried a modest face value, it is one of the most familiar and commonly encountered pre-euro French coins today.

This 20 centimes belongs to the coinage of the French Fifth Republic, whose franc-based system was in use from 1960 (following the introduction of the "new franc") until the changeover to the euro. The Marianne design by sculptor Henri Lagriffoul was used on the small centime denominations, and the 20 centimes of this type was issued from the early 1960s through 2001.

Across those years the coin circulated as everyday small change. Its gold-colored aluminum-bronze composition set it apart from the smaller-value pieces and the higher silvery francs, making it easy to recognize by color and size in the hand.

Production of franc-denominated coins ceased when France joined the euro; French euro coins were dated from 1999 and euro cash entered circulation on 1 January 2002. A coin like the year-2000 example here was among the last franc-era 20 centimes struck before that transition, after which the denomination was withdrawn from daily use.

Obverse (shown): a profile bust of Marianne with the legend RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE. Marianne is depicted as a stylized female head, the emblem of the Republic; the designer's name may appear in small letters near the truncation of the bust.

Reverse (shown): the large denomination 20 CENTIMES accompanied by a laurel branch, the date, and typically the Republic's motto LIBERTÉ ÉGALITÉ FRATERNITÉ. Small mint marks and engravers' privy marks (the différents) sit near the date. Metal, size and weight: a gold-toned aluminum-bronze coin roughly 23–24 mm in diameter and about 4 grams — light, thin, and non-magnetic.

To confirm the type, match the Marianne profile and RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE legend on one face with the "20 CENTIMES" value and laurel branch on the other, and read a date in the 1962–2001 range. The gold/brass color combined with the small format is a quick visual cue that separates it from the silvery franc denominations.

The France 20 Centimes was made in enormous quantities across many years, so ordinary circulated examples are very common and carry little premium over face value. As a demonetized franc-era coin it no longer has spending value, and worn pieces are generally valued as inexpensive world-coin filler.

Value rises modestly for coins in high, uncirculated grade, for scarcer dates or varieties within the series, and for pieces sold as part of complete date runs or original mint sets. Bright original luster and sharp detail on Marianne's profile are what set a better example apart from a common circulated one.

Exact figures depend on date, condition and how the coin is sold, so treat any single price with caution. For a specific coin, compare recent sales of the same date in similar grade rather than relying on face value alone.