Paris - Mint Hôtel des Monnaies

The Mint (Monnaie de Paris, Hôtel des Monnaies), built between 1771 and 1777, is one of the few buildings in Paris in early Louis XVI style. Begun at the end of Louis XV's reign to the design of Jacques-Denis Antoine, it is notable in lacking the elaborate decoration of Baroque and Roccoco. The doorway in the 117m/384ft long facade has allegorical representations of Trade and Agriculture.

Since 1973 French coins have been minted at Pessac (Gironde). The workshops on the Quai de Conti, which are open to the public, still mint special silver and gold coins. The Museum illustrates the history of coinage from the Renaissance to the present day.