This webpage was motivated by the lack of information on Latin Monetary Union coinage available online and to compile information I have collected over time — the hours spent may be better justified if shared!
Even in books and literature, there is very little information available on LMU coinage (what is known is compiled on the Resources page). The reason seems clear: numismatic literature, like coin collectors, tend to focus on specific countries and LMU coinage covers dozens of countries.
I am an American coin collector that has been focusing on LMU coinage. Though I collected coins in my childhood, the hobby did not endure. My curiosity arose again with clips from visiting coin experts on Pawn Stars, especially piqued by my continuing interest in history and economics. COVID lit the fuse on coin collecting again and a fortuitous coin shop visit offered me two options for a gold purchase: modern U.S. gold at a premium or a selection of French 20 francs at near spot. 20 francs from 19th Century France — sign me up!
My first 20 francs (came back to grab three more — a Charles X, Louis Phillipe I, and Ceres)
My long-term hope is to write a book on LMU coinage and economic history of the 19th century. After compiling basic reference information about the coins themselves here I hope to expand with articles on the insights and historical curiosities associated with those coins.
Comments, suggestions & questions are most welcome via Instagram or the Reddit LMU subreddit. This webpage is a one-man shop with a long-term lease so I am grateful for any errors or broken hyperlinks you might notice! This page is formatted on a desktop — Squarespace makes the mobile version easy but subject to some potential inconsistency in the order that items appear.