2 euro – 100th Anniversary of Abbé Pierre’s birth

Monnaie de Paris is striking a second €2 commemorative coin this year to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of abbé Pierre. A much celebrated figure for French people, abbé Pierre is one of the most important individuals of the 20th century. His resistance work during the World War II earnt him the "Croix de guerre" with bronze palm at the end of the war. Next he led a career as an MP until 1951. He then returned to his first vocation, that of a priest and dedicated himself to charity work until his death in 2007, in creating and developing a movement to fight social exclusion: Emmaüs. This organisation is now active in 36 countries. On the obverse is a portrait of abbé Pierre wearing his famous beret and crowned by the words "Centenaire de la naissance de l’abbé Pierre". His finest quotations appear in micro-print along with these words. The reverse is identical to that of the € 2 coins in circulation, common to every country in the euro zone: the face value "2 euro" in front of a map of Europe.