Monnaie de Paris has been minting the coins of the French since the year 864. Its treasures, which belong to the heritage, and its know-how are at the origin of this collection which, from Roman times to today, retraces the History of France in about twenty coins.

The Dagobert coin represents a gold Merovingian Triens, worth one third of a penny. In Dagobert's time, gold coins were the solidus (or sou), the semi (or half-sou) and the triens. A penny was worth 40 denarii of silver.