2023 France €20 Fine Silver 1oz Proof Coin "History of US Independence: Libertas Americana"

• Mint: Monnaie de Paris
• Denomination: €20
• Quality: Proof
• Issue limit: 3,000 pcs.
• Alloy: 99.9% Fine Silver
• Diameter: 37 mm
  
• Weight: 31.104 g (1 troy ounce)
  
• Box/Capsule: Yes/Yes
• Certificate: Yes

Additional Information

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The series “History of US Independence" started in 2020, and honors French involvement in American War of Independence. The designs of the coins are directly inspired by historical medals struck by the Monnaie de Paris throughout its history.

The Libertas Americana (Freedom for America) is the most famous medal in U.S. History. Designed by Benjamin Franklin and struck by the Monnaie de Paris (The Paris Mint) in 1783, it celebrates the US victory in the American Revolution. 

Founding Father Benjamin Franklin commissioned the Libertas Americana medal to mark the new nation’s victories against the British in the battles of at Saratoga and Yorktown. At the time, Franklin was serving as the United States Minister to France at the court of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette, key allies without whose military and naval support against the British, victory may not have been possible. The battles were fought almost exactly four years apart, Saratoga occurring on October 17, 1777 and Yorktown on October 19, 1781. Both dates appear on the coin’s reverse while America’s Independence day of July 4, 1776 appears on the obverse.

Outlined by French artist Esprit-Antoine Gibelin and sculpted by Augustin Dupre, the medal depicts Lady Liberty with her hair flowing in the wind alongside a freedom cap on a pole. The reverse depicts an infant strangling two serpents, a call back to the myth of Hercules that also represents the twin battles of Saratoga and Yorktown. Alongside the child, the goddess Minerva keeps a lion at bay, symbolizing France’s assistance in fighting the British.