France · Marianne and the Race - Eiffelturm (Series: Summer Olympics, Paris 2024 - 1/4)

Issue date21 Sept 2021

Total mintage510,000

EU maximum510,000

Editions6

Edge lettering2 ★ ★ × 6, alternating upright/inverted

InscriptionParis 2024 / RF

DesignerJoaquin Jimenez

mintMonnaie de Paris, Pessac

Issue occasion

The coin commemorates the Olympic Games Paris 2024, which are taking place in Paris again a century after 1924. The design depicts Marianne in an “antique” sprint, with her silhouette merging with the Eiffel Tower (Eiffelturm) into a shared axis. In the background, a running track and the “Paris 2024” emblem can be seen; beneath the arch of the Eiffel Tower are the year, the letters “RF” and the mint marks.

The design

Since their revival in 1896, initiated by the Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin, the modern Olympic Games have been an unprecedented event of human encounters, interrupted only during the world wars. After Brazil and Japan, the Summer Olympic Games are now returning to Europe. For the first time since 1924, a century later, the international major event will once again be held in Paris.

Monnaie de Paris is taking the “Countdown” to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as an opportunity to celebrate the Games with a coin series that skilfully combines Parisian and French heritage. The intensity gradually increases in the years leading up to the Games.

The coin design shows Marianne, the national figure of the French Republic and an icon of French numismatics, depicted in an “ancient” sprint in remembrance of the Olympic Games of antiquity. Her silhouette merges with the Eiffelturm, the symbol of Paris, to form a common axis. In the background, a running track can be seen, with the “Paris 2024” emblem inserted on the left. The year, the letters “RF” and the mint marks are located beneath the arch of the Eiffelturm.

The outer ring of the coin features the twelve stars of the European flag.

Background on the topic

Marianne is not a historical person, but the allegorical embodiment of the French Republic. The figure became established during the French Revolution as a symbol of freedom and the republic. She often wears a Phrygian cap, which was already used as a symbol of freedom during the revolutionary period. Marianne appears in French town halls as well as on stamps, medals and coins. Her athletic depiction therefore connects the French state with the Olympic tradition without highlighting an individual female athlete.

The Eiffel Tower was built for the Paris World's Fair of 1889. It was erected by the company of the engineer Gustave Eiffel. The tower was initially intended as a temporary structure, but it was preserved and was also used for scientific experiments and later for radio and broadcasting transmissions. Its inclusion in the coin design identifies Paris directly as the host city.

The modern Olympic Games originated from initiatives by the French educator Pierre de Coubertin. He was involved in the foundation of the International Olympic Committee (Internationales Olympisches Komitee); the first modern Games were held in Athens in 1896. The competitions in ancient Olympia, which formed part of a religious festival in honour of Zeus, served as their historical model. The reference to an antiquity-inspired running movement points to this origin, although the organisation and disciplines of the modern Games differ fundamentally from those of the ancient competitions.

Paris had already hosted the Olympic Summer Games in 1900 and 1924. The 1924 Games were characterised, among other things, by the participation of more than 3,000 athletes from 44 countries and broader international media coverage. Competitions were held not only in Paris itself but also at locations in the surrounding area.

The 2021 issue formed part of the multi-year numismatic countdown to the Games. The combination of republican allegory, Olympic origins and Parisian architecture made it possible to depict both France as the host country and Paris as the host city.