Petit Nicholas from France

A lot of surprises from the Monnaie de Paris recently, not only the France-China: 50 years of Diplomatic Relations, but the dome shaped FIFA 2014: World Cup in Brazil as well. Few days ago, the mint has just announced another set of gold and silver coin featuring the French comics Little Nicolas.

Nicholas was created by René Goscinny and Jean-Jacques Sempé in the 1950’s. For over 60 years, this mischievous little boy has won the hearts of generations of loyal readers. After a successful film adaptation in 2009, a second film based on the book “Les vacances du Petit Nicolas” will be released in July 2014. In light of this success, it seemed fitting for Monnaie de Paris to create three coins inspired by Nicholas.

The obverse of the first €10 silver coin is based on the book “Les vacances du Petit Nicolas” and depicts the main character on the beach.

The second €10 silver coin, inspired by the book “La rentrée du Petit Nicolas”, shows the young boy in his classroom.

The reverse of all coins of the series represents Nicholas running with his satchel in hand. His name is inscribed above, while below appear the signatures of the two authors of the series: René Goscinny and Jean-Jacques Sempé. A little touch of red, so characteristic of Nicholas’ drawings, can be found on all coins and other products related to this series.

Certificate and Box