€10 FRANCE 2021 - 400 years since the birth of Jean de la Fontaine
Circulation: 3000 units
Diameter: 37mm
Weight: 22 grams
Metal: 999 Silver
Year: 2021
Country France
In 2021, Monnaie de Paris inaugurates a new series based on styles and
literary authors who have marked the history of literature in
France and abroad.
A feather is engraved in the center of the coin and below the series title.
Several emblematic quotes are inscribed in it, such as “Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien” by Voltaire, “Lasciate ogne speranza voi ch'intrate” by Dane Alighieri, “To be or not to be: that is the question” by William Shakespeare. "Was mich nicht ubringt, macht mich stärker" by Nietzsche.
The reverse is common to the entire "Art of the Pen" series.
We can also see the castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte, a reference to his friendship with Nicolas Fouquet, the owner of the castle at the time. His dates and the name of Jean de La Fontaine, as well as the coat of arms of Château-Thierry, his birthplace where he spent part of his life and which inspired the animals in his fables, are engraved to the right of the drawing.
On this side, the portrait of Jean de La Fontaine, the most famous French fabulist, is shown in profile. In the background, some of the animals from his famous fables mix with his hair: the frog and the ox, the stork, the wolf, the crow and the fox, the cicada and the ant and finally the turtle. We discovered them little by little as a visual trick.
Dedicated to the Dauphin Louis of France, Jean de la Fontaine leaves us a literary legacy of more than 250 fables, as well as numerous collections of stories and poems.
Through his texts, Jean de la Fontaine still fascinates us today by using animals to represent the broad traits of human character.
On the occasion of the 400th anniversary of his birth, Monnaie de Paris pays tribute to Jean de La Fontaine, the greatest French fabulist and member of the Académie française.
The mention "RF" is designed on the lower right part of the coin, as well as the seal of Joaquín Jiménez.
