Monnaie de Paris

Monnaie de Paris | The World’s Oldest Mint – Founded 864 AD

The Monnaie de Paris (Paris Mint) is the oldest continuously operating mint in the world, established in 864 AD by the Edict of Pistres under King Charles the Bald — giving it over 1,160 years of unbroken minting history. Headquartered on the Quai de Conti in central Paris, the Monnaie de Paris is the French government’s official mint, producing circulation coinage, commemorative issues, and the historic gold coins — including the French 20 Franc — that remain among the most widely traded European gold coins in the international bullion market today.

London Gold Centre stocks historic French Mint gold coins with live market-linked pricing, secure checkout, and the choice of insured UK delivery or collection from our Hatton Garden showroom. Browse the full product range below, or compare French gold coins alongside other mints on the Buy Gold Coins UK page.

Why Buyers Choose Monnaie de Paris Coins

• The world’s oldest mint: with over 1,160 years of continuous operation, the Monnaie de Paris predates every other active mint by centuries — including The Royal Mint (886 AD) and the Austrian Mint (1194 AD).
• Historic European gold coins: the French 20 Franc is one of the most popular and widely traded historic European gold coins, containing approximately 5.81g of fine gold in a compact, affordable format with genuine 19th-century character.
• Part of the Latin Monetary Union family: French 20 Franc coins were part of the 19th-century Latin Monetary Union gold standard alongside Swiss, Belgian, Italian, and Greek equivalents — sharing near-identical specifications that make them interchangeable from a gold-content perspective.
• Dual bullion and collector appeal: the age, design variety, and historic significance of French gold coins attract both bullion buyers and numismatic collectors, supporting demand beyond pure spot-price valuation.

Monnaie de Paris Products Available

The most widely traded Monnaie de Paris product for UK bullion buyers is the French 20 Franc Gold Coin — containing approximately 5.81g of fine gold in a 900 fineness (21.6 carat) alloy with a gross weight of around 6.45g. These coins were struck across various periods and designs, including Napoleon III, Marianne (Rooster), and other iconic French motifs.

If you are comparing the French 20 Franc against other historic European gold coins, the closest comparison is the Swiss 20 Franc — which shares near-identical specifications due to the Latin Monetary Union standard. For UK legal-tender alternatives, compare with the Half Sovereign (3.66g fine gold) and Full Sovereign (7.32g fine gold). For larger historic coins, compare with the $20 Double Eagle and Mexican 50 Peso. Our best gold coins guide helps you compare across all major coin families.

How to Compare Monnaie de Paris Coins

When comparing Monnaie de Paris coins with products from other mints, UK buyers typically look at gold content versus premium, historic and collector value versus pure bullion value, French versus Swiss 20 Franc at near-identical specifications, tax treatment versus UK legal-tender coins, and resale familiarity in the UK and international secondary markets. French coins are not UK legal tender, so the CGT discussion differs from Britannias and Sovereigns. For the latest tax position, check the HMRC guidance on investment gold and VAT and the HMRC CGT manual.

For live pricing comparison, use the gold price per gram calculator to benchmark premiums. For broader buying guidance, our 10 things to know before buying gold and Britannia vs Sovereign guide cover the fundamentals. You can also browse the full gold bars, silver, platinum, and palladium ranges to compare across metals.