Jeu Numismatique

In the run-up to the introduction of the euro on 1 January 1999, there was much discussion about which common currency should be adopted across Europe. Illustrated in this pack are some of the forerunners of the euro including the écu. The suits are divided as follows: Clubs – Silver of Antiquity; Hearts – Gold of the Middle Ages; Spades – From the Renaissance to the Modern World; Diamonds – Monetary Union. Each of the court cards, aces and Jokers carries the name of the coin and the country of origin, with further information about each in the accompanying leaflet in French and English. On the numeral cards, the pips have been replaced by smaller versions of the coins which appear on the aces (except for the suit of Clubs). “Le Monnoyeur” (The Money Changer) from Nicolas de Larmessin’s series of engravings called “Les costumes grotesques et les metiers” is depicted on the reverse against either a red or a blue background.

Above: Jeu Numismatique playing cards made and published by France Cartes, Saint-Max, France, 1994. 52 cards + 2 Jokers + 1 title card + leaflet in French and English, in tuck box. Size: 63 x 88 mm. © France Cartes. France 1994

• See the boxes

• See the leaflet French • English

The pack was compiled with the collaboration of Bruno Collin (b.1956), a French historian and coin specialist.