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Since the French Revolution of 1789, France’s government has seen many tumultuous periods that led to many iterations of governmental rule classified as republics. The First Republic (1792-1804) marked the first years after the fall of the monarchy during the revolution and rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, whose tyrannical rule as emperor began in 1804. The Second Republic (1848-1852) came along after King Louis-Philippe was overthrown, yet saw a swift close after Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte launched a coup and began the Second Empire. The Third Republic (1870-1940) came into being during the Franco-Prussian War and spanned the 19th and 20th centuries, coming to an end with the Nazi invasion of France during World War II. The Fourth Republic (1946-1958) formed after World War II ended and France began rebuilding, with a parliamentary form of government but also incredible political instability. Then came the Fifth Republic.
The Fifth Republic began in 1958 amid the Algerian Crisis, which arose at a time when numerous colonies – many concentrated on the African continent – were seeking independence. Algeria, which France had ruled since 1830, was no exception. The Algerian War, which spanned from 1954 through 1962, was a violent period when the National Liberation Front mounted guerrilla warfare in a fight for independence and to spread rights and job opportunities for millions of Muslim Algerians.
To help quell the violence and bring a peaceful end to the fighting, France tapped Charles de Gaulle. The World War II hero had served in many leadership roles, including pivotal positions as chairman of the French Committee of National Liberation and chairman of the Provisional Government of the French Republic. During his tenure as French prime minister, de Gaulle led peace talks with the National Liberation Front and signed the Évian Accords in 1962, leading Algerians to vote for their independence. Amid the turmoil, de Gaulle formed France’s Fifth Republic, which operated under a new constitution and strengthened the power of the president – a role for which de Gaulle was elected in 1959 and served a decade. France still operates under the auspices of the Fifth Republic.
In 1988, France recognized the 30th anniversary of the Fifth Republic with a circulating 1 franc commemorative coin. The obverse is anchored by a portrait of de Gaulle surrounded by the words "RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE" (translates to French Republic). The reverse carries a stylized, six-sided wreath with a 1958-1988 dual dating feature and the words “LIBERTÉ · EGALITÉ · FRATERNITÉ” (which in English means Liberty, Equality, Fraternity). The coin, designed by Émile Rousseau, is graded by PCGS and can be included in a variety of PCGS Registry Sets dedicated to France’s vast catalog of coinage.