France · Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Issue date4 Jun 2024

Total mintage24,034,000

EU maximum24,000,000

Editions5

Edge lettering2 ★ ★ × 6, alternating upright/inverted

Inscription2024 / RF

DesignerJoaquin Jimenez

mintMonnaie de Paris, Pessac

Issue occasion

The coin commemorates the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, 100 years after the 1924 Olympic Games. The design features the Eiffel Tower and the Basilica of Notre Dame de la Garde in Marseille, as well as a Tiaré flower as a symbol of Tahiti, where the surfing competitions take place. The dynamic Eiffel Tower symbolises sporting values; its arms consist of 73 rivets representing the host venues, while the Olympic and Paralympic symbols are depicted together for the first time.

The design

For the countdown to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, Monnaie de Paris is celebrating the journey to the Games with depictions of Paris and its cultural heritage. 100 years after the 1924 Games, the French capital is hosting the Summer Olympic Games once again. Attention surrounding this international major event has steadily increased year by year and will reach its peak in 2024; this is commemorated with the issue of two 2-euro commemorative coins on the occasion of the Olympic Games.

The design depicts France through emblematic buildings; the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame de la Garde Basilica in Marseille are shown. In the background is a tiare flower as a symbol of the island of Tahiti, where the surfing competitions will take place. The Eiffel Tower, depicted in motion, symbolises the values of sport. Its arms consist of 73 rivets representing the host venues. For the first time, the Olympic and Paralympic symbols are shown together to celebrate the Games for everyone. The year, the abbreviation of the issuing country, “RF”, and the mint marks are integrated into the athletics track.

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

Background on the topic

Paris hosted the Summer Olympic Games for the third time, after 1900 and 1924. The 1924 Games belonged to a phase in which the Olympic movement became institutionally established. Competitions were held primarily at the Stade Olympique de Colombes; for the first time, a specially constructed Olympic Village was set up for participants. Among the well-known athletes was the Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi. The Paralympic Games, by contrast, only developed after the Second World War from sporting competitions for people with disabilities. In 2024, Paris hosted the Summer Paralympic Games for the first time.

The Eiffel Tower was built for the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris, which commemorated the centenary of the French Revolution. The iron structure was designed by engineers from Gustave Eiffel’s company. The tower, initially intended to stand for only a limited period, was preserved partly because of its use for radio and telecommunications. It later became a widely known symbol of Paris and France. Its depiction as a dynamically moving figure connects this national landmark with the host city.

The present-day Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde was built in the 19th century on a hill above Marseille. It is closely connected with the history of the port city and seafaring. Numerous votive offerings inside commemorate sailors who prayed for protection or gave thanks for their rescue. In popular usage, the church’s statue of the Virgin Mary is called “Bonne Mère”, the good mother. In 2024, Marseille was among the venues for the Olympic sailing competitions.

Teahupoʻo, the surfing venue in Tahiti, is known for a powerful wave breaking over a coral reef. Tahiti belongs to French Polynesia and thus also makes France’s overseas territories outside Europe visible in the coin design. The Tiaré flower is traditionally worn there as an adornment and is regarded as a cultural emblem of the island group.

The selection of these elements demonstrates that the Games were not limited to Paris alone. The coin design connects the capital with the Mediterranean region and a French overseas territory, thereby representing the geographical extent of the host venues.