Coin French Mint 20 Euros Argent Haut Relief BE 2022 - Molière - L'Art de la Plume 2022

20 Euros FRANCE 2022

Theme: 400 years of Molière
Series : The Art of the Pen 

Quality: BE (Belle Epreuve).

Print run: 3,000 copies.
Silver 999 ‰ - 31 104 g (1 ounce) - Ø 37 mm.

On the occasion of the 400th anniversary of his birth the Monnaie de Paris pays tribute to Jean-Baptiste Poquelin known as Molière the greatest author and playwright of French theatre. Molière's plays still fascinate us today, with their incredible characters. His plays are both comic and critical, using laughter as a weapon to criticise the mores and constraints of his time, and he was protected by King Louis XIV, who invited him to perform at the Court, particularly at Versailles. To pay tribute to him on the 400th anniversary of his birth, the Monnaie de Paris is minting a series of collector coins in gold and silver.

This side shows Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known as Molière, in profile. France's most famous playwright is depicted in a theatrical setting: his hair merges with the stage curtain and theatre boards are visible. Two of his most emblematic characters from his plays are also present: the Bourgeois Gentilhomme and the Avare, whose "precious" is an allegory of the Comédie-Française, which is also represented in the play. Also known as the "Maison Molière", the Comédie-Française is the theatre where he performed his last play, Le Malade Imaginaire. His stage name and dates are shown on the edge of the coin, along with a sun symbolising the protection he received from Louis XIV. The 20 € BE coin is struck in high relief, which adds volume to Molière's profile.

The reverse is common to the entire "Art of the Pen" series. It features a number of emblematic quotations such as Voltaire's "The best is the enemy of the good", Dante Alighieri's "Lasciate ogne speranza voi ch'intrate", William Shakespeare's "To be or not to be: that is the question" and Nietzsche's "Was mich nicht umbringt macht mich stärker". A feather is engraved in the centre of the piece. Below it is the title of the series. The word "RF" appears at the bottom right of the coin, along with the hallmark of Joaquin Jimenez and the engraving workshop.

999 Silver
Ø 37.00mm, Weight 31.10g
BE ( belle épreuve)
French Mint