DECIME: COIN OF FRANCE
1 decime, 1796: French Republic (French First Republic)
Date on coin: Republican Era 5 (by French Republican calendar, created and implemented during the French Revolution and used in France from 1793 to 1805) = 1796 (Gregorian calendar).
UN DÉCIME: one decime.
L'AN 5: 5th year according to the Republican calendar.
Mintmarks of General coin engraver Augustin Dupré and Mint Master Charles-Pierre de l'Espine: mythical goddess Artemis with bow and rooster.
Mark "A": Paris Mint.
REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE: French Republic.
Marianne is an allegorical image of France (a young woman in a Phrygian cap).
Coin design: Augustin Dupré (calligraphic signature of the master under the image of Marianna).
Paris Mint (Monnaie de Paris, France).
Mintage: 1.074.227.
- Copper: 32 mm - 19.34 g
- Reference price: 11.5$
COIN DECIME — WHERE & WHEN (coins catalog: by names & emitents)
- FRANCE (18th-19th centuries) — FRENCH REPUBLIC + FRENCH EMPIRE: decime = 10 centime = 1/10 franc
- REPUBLIC OF GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (1794): decime = 1/10 genevoise
- PRINCIPALITY OF MONACO (1838): decime = 10 centime = 1/10 franc
DECIME as coin name.
Decime (in French "Décime") — historical coin of France and several other French-speaking countries in the 18th and 19th centuries: the Republic of Geneva (now one of the Swiss cantons) and Monaco. The coin always served as a tenth part of the main currency.
Geneva (Switzerland). It is interesting that when numismatists talk about the decime coin, as a rule, only French decimes from the times of the First Republic and the Empire are mentioned. Indeed, these types of coins are the most common. However, decime did not appear in France, but a year earlier in neighboring and at that time independent Geneva (a Swiss canton since 1815 with a predominantly French-speaking population). Silver Geneva coins of denominations "1/2 decime" and "1 decime" are dated 1794. Decime was 1/10 of genevoise, which lasted only two incomplete years (1794-1795).
France. French coins 1 and 2 decimes were issued during 1795-1800 (First French Republic), as well as in 1814-1815 exclusively in Strasbourg ("Un Decime" of two types from the "Strasbourg Provisional Coinage" series — temporary "Napoleonic" issues). Decimes of the 18th century (like all other French coins of the French Revolution) had an interesting unique feature: they were dated according to the republican/revolutionary calendar. For example, the first French decime contained the date in the format "l'an 4" ("year 4", corresponding to 1795 in the Gregorian calendar). The coin was equal to 1/10 of a franc.
Monaco. The Monegasque decime minted only once — in 1838. The coin was a tenth of the Monaco franc and contained a portrait of the then local ruler — Honoré V. It is known that several varieties exist in different metals: copper and bronze.
The name of the decime coin, like its Spanish counterpart (decimo), fully reflects its function — 1/10 of the corresponding monetary unit. Both terms come from the Latin "decimus" — tithe, tenth part.
