France · 25 years of the Pink Ribbon – fight against breast cancer

Issue date25 Sept 2017

Total mintage10,020,500

EU maximum10,000,000

Editions4

Edge lettering2 ★ ★ × 6, alternating upright/inverted

Inscription25e ANNIVERSAIRE DU RUBAN ROSE / 1992 – 2017 / RF

DesignerJoaquin Jimenez

mintMonnaie de Paris, Pessac

Issue occasion

The commemorative coin marks the 25th anniversary of the pink ribbon as a symbol of the fight against breast cancer. The design shows a woman’s breast symbolically protected by a ribbon and a hand, surrounded by the inscription “25e ANNIVERSAIRE DU RUBAN ROSE”. Beside it are the years “1992–2017” and the abbreviation “RF”.

The design

Since the 1990s, the fight against breast cancer has been an important concern worldwide. The French mint Monnaie de Paris decided to support this cause and issue a commemorative coin on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Pink Ribbon, the symbol of this fight. For almost 15 years, a Pink Ribbon Prize has been awarded annually in France to support breast cancer research and promote innovative treatments.

The inner part of the coin depicts a female breast symbolically protected by the ribbon and a hand, surrounded on the right by the inscription “25e ANNIVERSAIRE DU RUBAN ROSE” (25th anniversary of the Pink Ribbon). The right side also features the year “1992 – 2017”, the issuing country’s abbreviation “RF” and the mint marks.

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

Background on the topic

The Pink Ribbon emerged in the context of US patient and awareness movements in the early 1990s. One precursor was Charlotte Haley, who distributed peach-colored ribbons and thereby called for greater government funding of breast cancer research. When the women’s magazine “Self” and the cosmetics company Estée Lauder wanted to take up her campaign, Haley refused to cooperate because she feared commercial appropriation. A pink ribbon was then developed. Among other places, it was distributed at cosmetics counters in 1992 and quickly spread as an internationally recognizable symbol.

Evelyn H. Lauder, who held a senior position at Estée Lauder at the time, was involved in establishing the symbol. Together with “Self” editor-in-chief Alexandra Penney, she supported campaigns informing women about early detection and screening. Lauder later founded the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, which funds research projects. Since then, the ribbon has been used by health organizations, companies, and public institutions.

In France, it is closely associated with the campaigns for breast cancer awareness held annually in October. Under the name “Octobre Rose”, associations and medical institutions provide information about screening options, therapies, and research funding. The campaigns are also directed against the former taboo surrounding a disease affecting the female body and, in particular, the breast. Public displays of the ribbon are therefore intended not only to commemorate those affected, but also to facilitate conversations about diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care.

The choice of this theme for a circulation coin transferred a health-policy awareness campaign into everyday payment transactions. Because of its wide circulation, the coin could reach people outside medical institutions or organized campaign events. For the French mint, the anniversary also provided a specific occasion to draw attention to research funding and innovative treatment methods. The design is thus part of a broader development in which commemorative coins are dedicated not only to historical events or individuals, but also to social and health-related causes.