These 1, 2 and 5 franc aluminium coins began circulating in newly liberated France in 1945 to replace the ones introduced by the Vichy Regime. Their introduction meant a return of the Republican motto “Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité” (Liberty, Equality, Fraternity) instead of “Travail, Famille, Patrie” (Work, Family, Fatherland) that was brought in under the Occupation. Originally the US planned to introduce its own occupation currency, but the move was blocked by General Charles de Gaulle who saw it as nothing more than “counterfeit money”.
