Frankreich Mint Alexandre Dumas - The Art of the Pen - 10 Euros Silver Proof 2024 BE ( belle épreuve)

10 Euros FRANCE 2024 

Theme: Alexandre Dumas
 Series : The Art of the Pen
 Quality : Proof
 Edition : 5000 copies.
 999 ‰ Silver - 22,2 g - Ø 37 mm.

 Among the most influential authors of his time, Alexandre Dumas left his mark on the world of romance literature with his captivating works of history, adventure and action. Born in 1802 in Villiers-Cotterêts in the Aisne region of France, Dumas drew inspiration from the musketeers of the 17th century to write his (originally) cloak-and-dagger serial novel, which went on to become an international benchmark for the novel: The Three Musketeers, published in 1844. Dumas's heroes, D'Artagnan, the Count of Monte Cristo and the Chevalier de Maison-Rouge, became legendary characters. The freedom Dumas took with history, his sense of action and twists, established him as the master of the genre.

The Three Musketeers is undeniably Alexandre Dumas' most influential work. This captivating novel follows the adventures of D'Artagnan, an ambitious young Gascon who travels to Paris to become a musketeer for King Louis XIII. He befriends Athos, Porthos and Aramis, three seasoned musketeers, and together they find themselves embroiled in political intrigue, exciting duels and dangerous plots. The story is full of adventure, loyalty and honour, with a dose of romance and humour, making ‘The Three Musketeers’ an immortal classic of French literature. Two other parts complete the trilogy: Vingt Ans Après (1845) and Le Vicomte de Bragelonne (1847-1850).

The front of these collector's coins depicts Alexandre Dumas facing his emblematic characters: the Four Musketeers. They point their swords at the author's nose, as if to challenge him. The famous phrase from the novel is inscribed on Dumas' shoulder: “One for all and all for one”. His name and dates of birth and death are inscribed at the top and bottom of the coin, and the year of issue is in the neck. 

The reverse is common to the entire ‘L'Art de la Plume’ series. It features a number of emblematic quotations, including Voltaire's ‘The best is the enemy of the good’, Dane Alighieri's ‘Lasciate ogne speranza voi ch'intrate’, William Shakespeare's ‘To be or not to be that is the question’ and Nietzsche's ‘Was mich nicht umbringt macht mich stärker’. A feather is engraved in the centre of the piece. Below it is the title of the series. The word ‘RF’ appears at the bottom right of the coin, along with the hallmark of Joaquin Jimenez and the engraving workshop.