Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Franc shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Franc offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Franc at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Franc? Wrong! If the Franc is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Franc then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Franc? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Franc and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Franc wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Franc then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Franc site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Franc, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Franc, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" align="right" cellpadding="2"|-! bgcolor=pink colspan=2 | Franc|- bgcolor="black" align="center"| | |-! colspan="2" | 1 Swiss franc 1983|- bgcolor="black" align="center"| | |-! colspan="2" | 1 French franc 1991|- bgcolor="black" align="center"| | |-! colspan="2" | 1 Belgian franc 1996|- bgcolor="black" align="center"| | |-! colspan="2" | 1 Luxembourg franc 1990|- bgcolor="black" align="center"| | |-! colspan="2" | 1 Monegasque franc 1978|- bgcolor="black" align="center"| | |-! colspan="2" | 5 Comorian francs 1992|}
The
franc is the name of several
currency units, most notably the
French franc, the currency of
France until it adopted the euro in 2002; and the
Swiss franc, still a major world currency today due to the prominence of Swiss financial institutions. The name is said to derive from the Latin inscription
francorum rex ("King of the Franks") on early
France coins, or from the
French language franc, meaning "free" (and "frank").
The countries that use francs include Switzerland,
Liechtenstein, and most of the
Francophone countries of
Africa. Before the introduction of the euro, francs were also used in France, Belgium and Luxembourg, while Andorra and
Monaco accepted the French franc as
legal tender. The Franc was also used within the French colonial empires's colonies, including
Algeria and Cambodia. The franc is sometimes italianised or hispanicised as the
Franco, for instance in
Luccan Franco.
One franc is typically divided into 100
centimes. The French franc symbol was an F with a line through it (₣).
Origins
The franc was originally a French
gold coin of 3.87 g minted in 1360 on the occasion of the release of King
John II of France, held by the English since his capture at the
Battle of Poitiers (1356) four years earlier. It was equivalent to one
livre tournois (Tours pound).
French franc
The French franc was the national currency of
France from 1360 until 1641 and again from 1795 until 1999 (franc coins and notes were legal tender until 2002). Though abolished as a legal coin by
Louis XIII of France in 1641 in favor of the gold louis (coin) and silver écu (coin), the term franc continued to be used in common parlance for the
livre tournois. The franc was also minted for many of the former French colonies, such as Morocco, Algieria, French West Africa, and others. Today, after independence, many of these countries continue to use the franc as their standard denomination.
The value of the French franc was locked to the
euro at 1 euro = 6.55957 FRF on
1998-12-31, and after the introduction of the euro notes and coins, ceased to be legal tender after 2002-02-28 (although still exchangeable at banks).
CFA and CFP francs
Fourteen African countries use the CFA franc (in west Africa,
Communauté financière africaine; in equatorial Africa,
Coopération financière en Afrique centrale), originally (1945) worth 1.7 French francs and then from 1948, 2 francs (from 1960: 0.02 new franc) but after January 1994 worth only 0.01 French franc. Therefore, from January 1999, 1 CFA franc is equivalent to 0.00152449 euro.
A separate (CFP franc) circulates in Islands controlled by France in the Indian and Pacific oceans#Pacific Islands, worth 0.0084 euro (formerly 0.055 French franc).
Comorian franc
In 1981, The Comoros established an arrangement with the French government similar to that of the CFA franc. Originally, 50
Comorian francs were worth 1 French franc. In January 1994, the rate was changed to 75 Comorian francs to the French franc. Since 1999, the currency has been pegged to the euro.
Belgian franc and
Luxembourg franc
The conquest of most of western Europe by Revolutionary and Napoleonic France led to the franc's wide circulation. Following independence from the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the new Kingdom of Belgium in 1832 adopted its own franc, equivalent to the French one, followed by Luxembourg in 1848 and Switzerland in 1850. Newly unified Italy adopted the lira on a similar basis in 1862.
In 1865, France, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy created the
Latin Monetary Union (to be joined by
Greece in 1868): each would possess a national currency unit (franc, lira, drachma) worth 4.5 g of silver or 0.290 322 g of gold (fine), all freely exchangeable at a rate of 1:1. In the 1870s the gold value was made the fixed standard, a situation which was to continue until 1914.
In 1926 Belgium as well as France experienced depreciation and an abrupt collapse of confidence, leading to the introduction of a new gold currency for international transactions, the
belga of 5 francs, and the country's withdrawal from the monetary union, which ceased to exist at the end of the year. The 1921 monetary union of Belgium and Luxembourg survived, however, forming the basis for full economic union in 1932.
Like the French franc, the Belgian/Luxemburgese franc ceased to exist in January 1,
1999, when it became fixed at 1 EUR= 40.3399 BEF/LUF, thus a franc was worth 0.024789 €. Old franc coins and notes lost their legal tender status in
February 28, 2002.
1 Luxembourg franc was equal to 1 Belgian franc. Belgian francs were legal tender inside Luxembourg, and Luxembourg francs were legal tender in Belgium.
The equivalent name of the Belgian franc in
Dutch language, Belgium's other official language, was "Belgische Frank."
Swiss franc and
Liechtenstein frank
The
Swiss franc (
ISO 4217: CHF or 756), which appreciated significantly against the new European currency from April to September 2000, remains one of the world's strongest currencies, worth today around two-thirds of a euro. The Swiss franc is used in
Switzerland and in Liechtenstein. Liechtenstein retains the ability to mint its own currency, the Liechtenstein frank, which it does from time to time for commemorative or emergency purposes.
The name of the country "Swiss Confederation" is found on some of the coins in
Latin (
Confoederatio Helvetica), as Switzerland has four official languages, all of which are used on the notes. The denomination is abbreviated "Fr" on the coins which is the abbreviation in all four languages.
Congolese franc
The Congolese franc is used in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Suppressed in 1967 by Mobutu, it was re-established in 1998 by Laurent Kabila.
Burundian franc
Used in
Burundi.
Rwandan franc
Used in Rwanda.
Djiboutian franc
Used in Djibouti. Pegged to the US dollar since 1973.
Guinean franc
Used in
Guinea. Suppressed in 1972 by dictator
Sékou Touré, re-established in 1986 by his successor
Lansana Conté.
Malagasy franc
The Malagasy franc was replaced by the Malagasy ariary on
January 1, 2005. This controversial decision was made by President
Marc Ravalomanana.
See also
- Cape Verdean escudo
- Latin Monetary Union
- The Latverian Franc is the currency of the fictional country of Latveria.
- Special settlement currencies
- Livre tournois (French pound)
- Roman currency
- New Hebrides franc
External links
- Swiss Franc Tracker - CHF
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" align="right" cellpadding="2"|-! bgcolor=pink colspan=2 | Franc|- bgcolor="black" align="center"| | |-! colspan="2" | 1 Swiss franc 1983|- bgcolor="black" align="center"| | |-! colspan="2" | 1 French franc 1991|- bgcolor="black" align="center"| | |-! colspan="2" | 1 Belgian franc 1996|- bgcolor="black" align="center"| | |-! colspan="2" | 1 Luxembourg franc 1990|- bgcolor="black" align="center"| | |-! colspan="2" | 1 Monegasque franc 1978|- bgcolor="black" align="center"| | |-! colspan="2" | 5 Comorian francs 1992|}
The
franc is the name of several
currency units, most notably the
French franc, the currency of
France until it adopted the euro in 2002; and the Swiss franc, still a major world currency today due to the prominence of Swiss financial institutions. The name is said to derive from the
Latin inscription
francorum rex ("King of the
Franks") on early France
coins, or from the
French language franc, meaning "free" (and "frank").
The countries that use francs include
Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and most of the Francophone countries of Africa. Before the introduction of the euro, francs were also used in France,
Belgium and
Luxembourg, while Andorra and Monaco accepted the French franc as
legal tender. The Franc was also used within the French colonial empires's colonies, including Algeria and Cambodia. The franc is sometimes italianised or hispanicised as the
Franco, for instance in Luccan Franco.
One franc is typically divided into 100
centimes. The French franc symbol was an F with a line through it (₣).
Origins
The franc was originally a French gold coin of 3.87 g minted in 1360 on the occasion of the release of King John II of France, held by the English since his capture at the Battle of Poitiers (1356) four years earlier. It was equivalent to one
livre tournois (Tours pound).
French franc
The
French franc was the national currency of
France from 1360 until 1641 and again from 1795 until 1999 (franc coins and notes were legal tender until 2002). Though abolished as a legal coin by Louis XIII of France in 1641 in favor of the gold louis (coin) and silver
écu (coin), the term franc continued to be used in common parlance for the livre tournois. The franc was also minted for many of the former French colonies, such as Morocco, Algieria, French West Africa, and others. Today, after independence, many of these countries continue to use the franc as their standard denomination.
The value of the French franc was locked to the euro at 1 euro = 6.55957 FRF on 1998-12-31, and after the
introduction of the euro notes and coins, ceased to be legal tender after 2002-02-28 (although still exchangeable at banks).
CFA and CFP francs
Fourteen African countries use the CFA franc (in west Africa,
Communauté financière africaine; in equatorial Africa,
Coopération financière en Afrique centrale), originally (1945) worth 1.7 French francs and then from 1948, 2 francs (from 1960: 0.02 new franc) but after January 1994 worth only 0.01 French franc. Therefore, from January 1999, 1 CFA franc is equivalent to 0.00152449 euro.
A separate (
CFP franc) circulates in Islands controlled by France in the Indian and Pacific oceans#Pacific Islands, worth 0.0084 euro (formerly 0.055 French franc).
Comorian franc
In 1981, The Comoros established an arrangement with the French government similar to that of the CFA franc. Originally, 50 Comorian francs were worth 1 French franc. In January 1994, the rate was changed to 75 Comorian francs to the French franc. Since 1999, the currency has been pegged to the euro.
Belgian franc and
Luxembourg franc
The conquest of most of western Europe by Revolutionary and Napoleonic France led to the franc's wide circulation. Following independence from the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the new Kingdom of
Belgium in 1832 adopted its own franc, equivalent to the French one, followed by Luxembourg in 1848 and Switzerland in 1850. Newly unified
Italy adopted the lira on a similar basis in 1862.
In 1865, France, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy created the Latin Monetary Union (to be joined by Greece in 1868): each would possess a national currency unit (franc, lira, drachma) worth 4.5 g of silver or 0.290 322 g of gold (fine), all freely exchangeable at a rate of 1:1. In the 1870s the gold value was made the fixed standard, a situation which was to continue until 1914.
In 1926
Belgium as well as France experienced depreciation and an abrupt collapse of confidence, leading to the introduction of a new gold currency for international transactions, the
belga of 5 francs, and the country's withdrawal from the monetary union, which ceased to exist at the end of the year. The 1921 monetary union of Belgium and Luxembourg survived, however, forming the basis for full economic union in 1932.
Like the French franc, the Belgian/Luxemburgese franc ceased to exist in
January 1, 1999, when it became fixed at 1 EUR= 40.3399 BEF/LUF, thus a franc was worth 0.024789 €. Old franc coins and notes lost their legal tender status in February 28, 2002.
1 Luxembourg franc was equal to 1 Belgian franc. Belgian francs were legal tender inside Luxembourg, and Luxembourg francs were legal tender in Belgium.
The equivalent name of the Belgian franc in
Dutch language, Belgium's other official language, was "Belgische Frank."
Swiss franc and
Liechtenstein frank
The Swiss franc (
ISO 4217: CHF or 756), which appreciated significantly against the new European currency from April to September 2000, remains one of the world's strongest currencies, worth today around two-thirds of a euro. The Swiss franc is used in Switzerland and in
Liechtenstein. Liechtenstein retains the ability to mint its own currency, the Liechtenstein frank, which it does from time to time for commemorative or emergency purposes.
The name of the country "Swiss Confederation" is found on some of the coins in Latin (
Confoederatio Helvetica), as Switzerland has four official languages, all of which are used on the notes. The denomination is abbreviated "Fr" on the coins which is the abbreviation in all four languages.
Congolese franc
The Congolese franc is used in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Suppressed in 1967 by Mobutu, it was re-established in 1998 by
Laurent Kabila.
Burundian franc
Used in
Burundi.
Rwandan franc
Used in Rwanda.
Djiboutian franc
Used in Djibouti. Pegged to the US dollar since 1973.
Guinean franc
Used in Guinea. Suppressed in 1972 by dictator
Sékou Touré, re-established in 1986 by his successor Lansana Conté.
Malagasy franc
The Malagasy franc was replaced by the
Malagasy ariary on January 1, 2005. This controversial decision was made by President Marc Ravalomanana.
See also
External links
- Swiss Franc Tracker - CHF
Nathalie Franc
1990 - B.S., Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France. 1992 - M.S., Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France. 1996 - Ph.D., Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France.
Definition: franc from Online Medical Dictionary
The Online Medical Dictionary is a searchable dictionary of definitions from medicine, science and technology. ... franc. A silver coin of France, and since 1795 the unit of the ...
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Franc - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The franc is the name of several currency units, most notably the French franc, the currency of France until it adopted the euro in 1999 (by law, 2002 de facto), and the Swiss ...
Swiss franc - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The franc (German: Franken, French and Romansh: franc, Italian: franco; ISO 4217: CHF and 756) is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal ...
The Archbishop Lanfranc School
Secondary school. Includes school brochure, information for parents and pupils, term dates and hire of premises.
franc - Hutchinson encyclopedia article about franc
Hutchinson encyclopedia article about franc. franc. Information about franc in the Hutchinson encyclopedia. swiss franc, french franc, cfa franc, belgian franc, congolese franc ...
Franc O'Shea Tour News
BBC NI TV Portal - An Engagement With Franc
ni/tv - BBC Northern Ireland Television on the web ... GETTING ENGAGED ? BBC ONE NI 2008 . Are you planning to pop the Big Question soon?
