Vichy France | German Occupation Coin

History of the Artifact

After the German occupation of France, in May of 1940, the territory was split into two parts, an occupied zone and a “Free Zone”. Although the entirety of the French territory was effectively under German control, in the Free zone, a puppet government made up of French officials and collaborators was established with the city of ‘Vichy’ acting as capital of government - hence the name “Vichy France”. General Pétain, a veteran of World War 1 who enjoyed a positive reputation for his achievements, was granted full powers over the new “Etat Français” or French State.

The new French State began minting new coins that would pictorially represent the new espoused values.
On the obverse of the coins, we find Pétain’s own personal symbol depicting a “Labrys”, an ancient Greek double edged Ax. On the Reverse we read “Travail, Famille, Patrie” or “Work, Family and Country”, a slogan which replaced the famous French revolution slogan of “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité,”. This switch was a symbolic rejection of France’s republican values to more right leaning, traditionalist values adopted by the Vichy government. Minted in aluminum due to war shortages, these coins were minted from 1942 until the allied liberation of France in 1944.

How do I know these are original Vichy Coins?

Ancient Artifacts guarantees the Authenticity of items sold through a three layer system of protection: 

1. Ancient Artifacts exclusively sources artifacts from trusted and reputable antique distributors, many of whom have been selling Artifacts for decades.  
2. Next, the Artifact is inspected by an expert team member, who is professionally trained in counterfeit detection After the artifact passes inspection, the Certificate of Authenticity is signed and the Artifact is packaged. 
3. Finally, Ancient Artifacts gives an additional layer of protection by promising a full refund with no questions asked, in the extremely unlikely event that a counterfeit slips through our vetting process.

What will my artifact look like?

Your coin will look very similar to the one shown in the photos. There will always be some variety, given our items are unique historical pieces. If for whatever reason you get anything that does not fit this description you are entitled to your money back! 

Your order will include:

• One authentic Vichy France Coin
• Elegant protective case for preservation and display of your artifact 
• Certificate of Authenticity

Ancient Artifacts relics are guaranteed authentic and have a 100% money back policy. Read more about our Mission and Promise for authenticity.