Monnaie de Paris Commemorates Surrealist Guillaume Apollinaire on New Gold, Silver Proof Coins

Guillaume Apollinaire

Born the 26th of August, 1880, Guillaume Apollinaire (originally named Guglielmo de Kostrowitzky) was a french poet and writer considered one of the greatest one of the 20th century. Very active politically, Apollinaire took part of the literary and aesthetic revolutions. A defender of Modern Art, he was a pioneer of Surrealism, which revolutionized both art and poetry. Apollinaire was admired during his lifetime by the young poets who later formed the core of the surrealist group: André Breton, Louis Aragon, and Philippe Soupault.

Known for his calligrams, a form to which he gave the name, Apollinaire is also famous for his acrostic poems. Among his most famous repositories, there are Alcohol and Calligrams, and among the poems “Chanson du mal-aimé” or “Le Pont Mirabeau”.

The year 2018 marks the anniversary of Guillaume Apollinaire’s death. Therefore, the Monnaie de Paris has decided to salute him with 10-euro silver and 50-euro gold commemorative coins.

Description

Obverse:

The obverse of the coin shows a calligram by Guillaume Apollinaire speaking about the Eiffel Tower. In the background, a landscape from one of his famous poems, “Pont Mirabeau”, is represented.

Reverse:

The reverse highlights the portrait of the painter over a background of firs as a reference to his poem named “Les Sapins”. The face value and the name of the artist are written. At the bottom left is a cornucopia, the Monnaie de Paris mintmark. In a similar position on the opposite side is the mark of current Monnaie de Paris mint master Yves Sampo–a pentagon containing the letters AG, MP and YS.

Coin Specifications