France · 100th birthday of L'Abbé Pierre

Issue date13 Jul 2012

Total mintage1,020,000

EU maximum1,000,000

Editions3

Edge lettering2 ★ ★ × 6, alternating upright/inverted

InscriptionRF / Et les autres?

DesignerYves Sampo

mintMonnaie de Paris, Pessac

Issue occasion

The commemorative coin honours the 100th birthday of Abbé Pierre, a well-known advocate for the poor in France. The design shows his portrait wearing a béret, along with the logo of the foundation he founded and the microtext “Et les autres?” (“And the others?”), his motto calling for help to be given to others. The letters “RF” and the marks of the Paris Mint and the mintmaster are shown alongside.

The design

The coin depicts a portrait of Abbé Pierre wearing his beret, as well as the logo of the foundation he founded, featuring the microtext “And the others?”—his motto, with which he urged people to help others. On the left, the letters “RF” for “République française” (“French Republic”) and the cornucopia—the symbol of the Paris Mint—are struck, while on the right there is a flower—the mint master’s mark.

The twelve stars of the European flag are depicted on the coin’s outer ring.

Background on the topic

Abbé Pierre’s birth name was Henri Grouès. He was born in Lyon in 1912, initially joined the Capuchin order and was ordained a priest in 1938. During the German occupation of France, he took part in the Résistance. He helped persecuted people escape, procured false documents and adopted the code name “Abbé Pierre”, which he later retained. After the war, he was a member of the French National Assembly from 1945 to 1951.

In 1949, he founded the first Emmaus community near Paris. People who were homeless or socially marginalized lived there in a working and solidarity-based community. They earned their living, among other things, by collecting, repairing and selling used objects. This approach gave rise to the internationally widespread Emmaus movement. The Fondation Abbé Pierre, established later, focused particularly on homelessness and inhumane housing conditions.

Abbé Pierre attracted considerable public attention during the severe winter of 1954. France was still suffering from the consequences of the war and a serious housing shortage. After a woman froze to death in the street, he addressed the population via Radio-Luxembourg. His appeal sparked a broad relief campaign that became known as the “Uprising of Kindness”. Donations of money and goods came in; at the same time, housing policy became a more prominent subject of public debate.

For decades, Abbé Pierre remained a widely known voice in debates about poverty, homelessness and social exclusion. He died in 2007. The French 2012 issue therefore not only marked a milestone anniversary, but also commemorated a person whose work was closely connected with French post-war history, the housing question and organized efforts on behalf of people without accommodation.