Europa (currency)

The europa was a token coinage created in 1928 by Joseph Archer, a politician and industrialist from the Nièvre region in France. The currency was promoted by Philibert Besson, the elected deputy for the Haute-Loire who, along with Archer, was an influential figure in the European federalist movement. The coins were minted in the name of a hypothetical "Federated States of Europe" (États fédérés d'Europe). Unlike contemporary currencies based on the gold standard, the europa was intended to derive its notional value from its value in labour.

Not to be confused with Europa coin programme or Euro.
A one-Europa coin

The currency never circulated except unofficially between federalists of the Nièvre region. Two denominations were produced, both depicting Louis Pasteur and a map of Europe on the obverse and reverse respectively: one valued at 1 europa and another at 1/10 of a europa.

Further reading
  • Calligaro, Oriane (2013). Negotiating Europe: EU promotion of Europeanness since the 1950s. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 9781137369901.
  • Dousset, Jean-Luc (2013). Philibert Besson: Le fou qui avait raison. Le Puy-en-Velay: Editions Jeanne d'Arc. ISBN 9782362620300.
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