Eleven months after landing on the beaches of Normandy, Allied forces scattered across Europe celebrate the surrender of Nazi Germany. A historic day, “V-E DAY” (or Victory in Europe Day) symbolizes the end of nearly six years of conflict and the return of peace for millions of Europeans. 80 years after this decisive victory, Monnaie de Paris celebrates this historic event by paying a new tribute to the great Allied nations who fought for the liberation of France and Europe.
Fred, a lieutenant in the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, was part of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division that landed on Sword Beach. His unit continued the Battle of Normandy, fighting at Caen and Falaise. The division then headed for the Seine, liberating Rouen on August 30th, 1944. It continued its way in France, liberating Boulogne-sur-Mer and Calais.
The unit was then sent to Belgium and the Netherlands, where it took part in the Battle of the Scheldt and the Breskens pocket, reopening the port of Antwerp. It ended the war in Germany, having prepared the assault on the town of Aurich.
The reverse of this coin features all the Allied countries that officially took part in the Normandy landings, surrounded by the face value and the RF initials. Clockwise: France Libre, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Australia, USA, Norway, UK, Czechoslovakia, Canada, Belgium.
The stars under the flags are also a tribute to the Liberty Road, mile markers marking the route taken by the 3rd US Army in liberating France as far as Luxembourg.
