Vichy France, 1 Franc, WWII German Occupation

Vichy France (July 1940–September 1944) refers to the French government that collaborated with Nazi Germany, lead by the Head of State Phillippe Pétain. Some historians considered it to be a German puppet state, while others argue it had some autonomy despite over half its territory being occupied by the German military.

The Vichy Regime imposed a counter-revolutionary ideology, emphasizing a return to “traditionalist morality.” This ideology embraced authoritarianism, Roman Catholicism, intense Anglophobia, and imposing strict, traditionalist roles for women. Vichy propaganda intermingled anti-English sentiment with racism, sexism, and antisemitism, accusing the British of working with "Jewish capitalists" and of being racially impure compared to the peoples of Europe—namely, the French and Germans who were to build the New Order.

Vichy ended in 1944, after the Allies liberated France. Many Vichy leaders faced post-war trials for their work with the Nazis, although a significant amount of officials did not face criminal charges until the 1990s. Pétain was charged with treason in 1945 and sentenced to death by firing squad, but his sentence was commuted to life in prison due to his advanced age. It was not until 1995 that Vichy France’s role was officially recognized in World War II, when the regime was declared an illegal government formed “by traitors under foreign influence.”

These coins had a face value of one Franc, and were minted out of aluminum-magnesium due to the wartime scarcity of copper and nickel. The obverse side shows a double headed axe, a common symbol of Vichy France, and the reverse shows the denomination flanked by oak leaves.

Each includes a Certificate of Authenticity.