Pièce French Mint 20 euro Silver 2023 A Paris BE ( belle épreuve)

This 20-euro silver coin was issued by the Monnaie de Paris in 2023, as part of a series dedicated to French gastronomy and pastry-making. It pays tribute to Pierre Hermé, an internationally renowned French pastry chef, particularly known for his work on the macaron, an iconic confection of Parisian haute pâtisserie.

One of the most remarkable characteristics of this coin lies in its shape: it faithfully reproduces the silhouette of a macaron, departing from the traditional circular format of coins. This original design makes this issue an atypical numismatic object, at the boundary between a coin and a work of art.

The coin is struck in 999‰ silver, meaning 99.9% pure silver, with a weight of 31.104 grams, corresponding to a standard troy ounce. Its diameter is 39 millimetres. It is produced in Belle Épreuve (BE) quality, a finish specific to the Monnaie de Paris, distinguished by careful polishing of the dies and a surface treatment ensuring high-precision visual rendering, with a marked contrast between brilliant and satin areas.

The strike was carried out at workshop A of the Monnaie de Paris. The mintage is limited to 5,000 pieces, making it a restricted-circulation issue. The face value is 20 euros, legal tender in France and the eurozone.

This coin is part of the tradition of thematic issues by the Monnaie de Paris celebrating French cultural and gastronomic heritage, combining monetary craftsmanship with a reference to an emblematic figure of contemporary culinary creation.

寄运