The Monnaie de Paris has launched (11th March) a series of exquisite and innovative coins to mark the 850 years since the commencement of construction of one of the world’s most notable religious landmarks - that of the Notre Dame Cathedral, located in the heart of Paris.
Construction began in 1183 during the reign of Louis VII and was eventually completed by 1345 (at which time, Philip VI of the house of Valois was King) and included some of the most colorful and intricate stained glass panes ever assembled. Known as Notre Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris) and located on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, it is the church that contains the cathedra or official chair of the Archbishop of Paris. The cathedral is also home to the crown of thorns, a fragment of the True Cross and one of the Holy Nails.
Notre Dame is considered a Gothic-style masterpiece of architecture – with a height of 226 feet or 69 meters, a length of 420 feet (128 meters) and a width of 226 feet (69 meters) it is one of the largest structures of its kind and among the first buildings in the world to use arched exterior supports, becoming a noted aspect of Gothic style construction. Notre Dame sustained considerable damage during the French Revolution and underwent considerable reconstruction to restore its original Gothic splendor. Today, the Cathedral welcomes more than 13 million visitors every year from around the world and was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. On this momentous anniversary, Notre Dame will be equipped with new bells.
The coins, six in total range in size & metal from five ounce silver to 1 kilo and ½ gram gold examples. The obverse of all the coins includes a uniform design which depicts a rendition of a portion of the main pane of stained glass along with impressions of the famous gargoyles which are so much a part of the façade, an impression of the west side of the Cathedral and a depiction of the center of the main stained glass pane featuring the Virgin Mary with Christ child which is placed off-center to the right of the coin. A commemorative inscription reads “850 ANS” and “NOTRE DAME DE PARIS” in stylized lettering.
The reverse design sees a similar but opposite effect - with the insignia of UNESCO, the year of issue “2013” and the coin’s denomination included in the design. As a design element addition, each €10 silver coin includes translucent applications of enamel to specific areas of the coin’s surface to highlight and enhance the effect of stained glass.
|
Denomination |
Metal |
Weight |
Diameter |
Quality |
Mintage |
|
€10 |
.900 silver |
21 grams |
37 mm. |
proof |
10,000 pieces |
|
€50 |
.950 silver |
163.8 grams |
50 mm. |
proof |
850 pieces |
|
€5 |
.999 gold |
½ gram |
11 mm. |
proof |
15,000 pieces |
|
€50 |
.920 gold |
8.45 grams |
22 mm. |
Proof |
1000 pieces |
|
€200 |
.999 gold |
31.1 grams |
37 mm. |
proof |
500 pieces |
|
€5000 |
.999 gold |
1000 grams |
Proof |
29 pieces |
For more information on this collection and others offered from the Monnaie de Paris, please visit their website at this page. Information offered in French & English – international orders fulfilled.
I ordered the smaller silver version today from a US company. It’s a nice design. It must be quite striking in the 5 oz version, but it’s too costly for me.
Hello Louis,
The Notre Dame Cathedral coins were prominently displayed during the World Money Fair in Berlin and attracted alot of very positive comments, I believe some collecrtors were lucky enough to purchase some of these coins earlier than their launch. Both the larger silver and gold examples did have a bit of the “wow” factor.
The €10 has alot of eye appeal, it is a very nice look and the transluscent enamel is also a nice addition to the overall design, let us know what you think when you receive your coin…
M Alexander
Thanks for your article and the additional info., Michael. I will definitely let you know
when I receive it, which should be soon.
For those with the funds, the quarter ounce gold coin is probably the best deal if you get it from a European dealer. I have the Mother Theresa coin from a couple years ago, which has increased in value for gold content, the low 1K mintage, and the popularity of the subject.
I have tried to order this coins from Monniae of Paris by credit card. But credit card refused to take payment for purchase of this coin by internet. Why?
If you’re experiencing problems with ordering, do contact customer services at the Monnaie de Paris – there is a fax number and they may be able to solve any problem:
Fax: +33 (0)1 43 26 90 73
Be sure to include your e-mail address and the country you’re ordering from but do not include your credit card information until their sales office contact you – just to be safe!
Koichi Ito: It’s been a few years, but I have ordered directly from the French Mint. I don’t like the high shipping charges, so I prefer to order from US or German dealers. If you want the smaller silver coin, you can get it from Royal Scandinavian Mint in Utah for I believe $85 plus about $5 shipping.
Koichi
It might be because there is a 2700 euro limit on credit card orders on the website. If you ordered all 4 coins then you went over the limit. If this is the case, try splitting the order so that each order is under that limit.
My order is 50 Euro Gold Nortre Dame 2013 and 10 Euro Silver Nortre Dame commemorative in addition to 50 Euro Gold Yves Klien and 10 Euro Silver Yves Klien Coins.
Why does Monnaie de Paris has 2700 euro limit on credit card order, while Royal British Mint has no limit on ordering coins by credit cards?
I received my silver coin today, and it is really nice. I immediately held it up to the light to see the translucent effect. It must be esp. striking in the larger format.
The Monnaie de Paris took special care to display these coins with enough back light to see the full effect of the 10 Euro coins during their launch at the World Money Fair in Berlin, I know they impressed alot of collectors because the Mint sold every coin before packing up!
M Alexander
I ordered these coins on March 11th from the Monnaie de Paris and my credit card was charged the next day. I haven’t received the coins and have sent several emails to them asking about the status of my order. I have not received ANY response from them. Any suggestions on what I should do now?