To mark the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings, Monnaie de Paris has minted a collection paying tribute to the soldiers of the four major Allied nations.
French commandos, British airborne troops and American and Canadian infantrymen are honoured in this historic collection.
James is an American officer in the 1st Infantry Division. He landed on Omaha Beach, nicknamed "Bloody Omaha". Here, he poses in front of the beach at the end of a long day. In the background, you can see the bunkers, as well as the many landing crafts and ships out to sea to support the beachhead.
The reverse of these coins depicts a spiral of all the Allied nations that took part in the landings, whether on land, sea or in the air. The stars under the flags are also a tribute to the Liberty Road, the milestones marking the route taken by the 3rd American Army to liberate France, as far as Luxembourg.
