France 2016 10 Euro Femmes de France Jeanne D'Arc .900 Silver in Case (minor wear)

France 2016 10 Euro Femmes de France Jeanne D'Arc .900 Silver in Case (minor wear)

Part of the Paris Mint's Femmes de France series, this stunningly detailed 90% silver coin celebrates the life and legacy of Jeanne D'Arc (Joan of Arc), the patron saint of France.

Born to a peasant family in northeast France around 1412, Jeanne was about sixteen years old when she started having visions that she interpreted as coming from God. By this time, France had been at war with England for about 75 years of the Hundred Years' War, and Jeanne came to believe that these visions were God's way of guiding the French to victory. She managed to secure an audience with the deposed King Charles VII, who was apparently impressed with her abilities. While the king wasn't about to let a random teenager lead his armies, he did see her potential to inspire a bit of hope, and so he agreed to let her ship off to the besieged city of Orléans. In Orléans, Jeanne was so much more than a morale booster. She plunged into the thick of the fighting, flying her banner on the front lines to let both sides know that God was with the French army. Her legend swelled; the French saw her as their salvation, while the English saw this peasant girl who could put down their armies as a creature of the Devil. It was no surprise that, when Jeanne was eventually captured, the English put her on trial for witchcraft and -- horror of horrors -- the crime of crossdressing. Jeanne died by burning at the stake, aged just 19. Her legacy, however, lives on, and Jeanne is still remembered as a French national hero, a Catholic martyr, a feminist icon, and one of the most well-studied figures in medieval history.

This beautifully detailed .900 silver coin features a modern portrait of Jeanne on the obverse. The reverse is a scene from the The Lives of Famous Women by Jean Pichore, a miniature portrait dated to 1506. The coin comes in its original Paris Mint branded packaging. There are some light signs of wear, including small scuffs on the capsule and a small tear in the corner of the outer sleeve.