FRENCH REPUBLIC
COMMEMORATING THE CENTENARY OF THE BIRTH OF FRENCH AVIATOR ROLAND GARROS (1888-1988)
WWI FIGHTER PILOT AND FIRST EVER TO SHOOT DOWN AN ENEMY AIRCRAFT
1988 FRANCE PLATINUM 10 FRANCS "PIEFORT"
CERTIFIED BY NGC PROOF 68 ULTRA CAMEO
EXTREMELY RARE - ONLY 10 MINTED!
OBV: BIRD WITH RAISED WINGS LEFT WITH CONTOUR OF ATLANTIC COAST OF FRANCE ABOVE AND JOINED TO DENOMINATION; DATE ABOVE.
REV: 3/4 PORTRAIT BUST OF ROLAND GARROS RIGHT WITH 3/4 DEPICTION OF FRENCH MOURANE-SAULNIER N MONOPLANE RIGHT, BEHIND AND ABOVE BUST LEFT; ANNIVERSARY DATES ABOVE; ENGRAVER NAME LEFT OF BUST, ROSETTE PRIVY MARK BENEATH.
PIEDFORT DOUBLE THICK COIN
KM#P997
EUGÈNE ADRIEN ROLAND GEORGES GARROS (1888-1918) WAS A FRENCH EARLY AVIATOR AND WWI FIGHTER PILOT.
ROLAND GARROS STARTED HIS FLYING CARREER IN 1909, AND WENT ON TO PARTICIPATE IN EUROPEAN AIR RACES. HE SET AN ALTITUDE RECORD OF 12,960 FEET IN 1911, AND 18,410 FEET IN 1912. HE GAINED FAME FOR BEING THE FIRST PILOT TO CROSS THE MEDITERRANEAN NON-STOP, FROM THE SOUTH OF FRANCE TO TUNISIA IN 1913.
GARROS WOULD JOIN THE FRENCH ARMY AT THE OUTBREAK OF WAR IN 1914, AND DROVE HIS PLANE INTO A GERMAN ZEPPELIN DIRIGIBLE THAT SAME YEAR, DESTROYING THE ZEPPELIN AND ITS CREW, AND HIS OWN AIRCRAFT. IT WAS CONSIDERED TO BE THE FIRST AIR BATTLE IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD. REMARKABLY, HE SURVIVED!
AS A RECONNAISSANCE PILOT, HE VISITED A FRENCH AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURING PLANT WHERE HE HELPED DEVELOP WORKABLE SYNCHRONIZATION INTERRUPTER GEAR TO ALLOW MACHINE GUNS TO FIRE THOUGH THE PROPELLER OF A FIGHTER AIRCRAFT. HE HAD THIS FITTED ON HIS PLANE. IN APRIL 1915 HE WAS CREDITED WITH THE FIRST SHOOTING DOWN OF AN AIRCRAFT BY A FIGHTER. HE SHOT DOWN TWO MORE GERMAN AIRCRAFT THAT SAME MONTH.
ACCORDING TO VARIOUS ACCOUNTS, AFTER HIS LAST KILL IN APRIL, HIS AIRCRAFT WENT DOWN, DUE TO EITHER A CLOGGED FUEL LINE OR BY ENEMY GROUND FIRE. GLIDING TO A LANDING ON THE GERMAN SIDE OF THE LINES, HE FAILED TO DESTROY HIS AIRCRAFT AND ITS ARMORED PROPELLER AND GUN MECHANISM. BOTH HE AND THE AIRCRAFT WERE CAPTURED BY THE GERMANS. A LEGEND CAME ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THE GERMANS EXAMINED THE PLANE, ANTON FOKKER DEVELOPED HIS IMPROVED INTERRUPTER GEAR SYSTEM, AND GERMANY WAS ABLE TO TURN THE TABLE ON THE ALLIES IN THE AIR. THE FACT IS THAT THE FOKKER SYSTEM HAD BEEN IN USE MONTHS BEFORE GARROS WAS CAPTURED.
IN 1918, GARROS ESCAPED FROM A GERMAN POW CAMP, AND MADE HIS WAY BACK TO FRANCE. HE REJOINED THE FRENCH ARMY AND HAD ONE MORE CONFIRMED, AND ONE UNCONFIRMED KILL. ON OCTOBER 5th, 1918, ONE DAY BEFORE HIS 30th BIRTHDAY, AND A MONTH BEFORE THE FIRST WORLD WAR CAME TO AN END, HE WAS FATALLY SHOT DOWN OVER THE ARDENNES, PURPORTEDLY BY GERMAN ACE HERMANN HABICH (UNCONFIRMED).
ROLAND GEORGES GARROS IS SOMETIMES REFERRED TO AS "THE WORLD'S FIRST FLYING ACE" (EVEN THOUGH 5 OR MORE CONFIRMED VICTORIES MARKED THAT EPITHET, AND ONLY 4 OF HIS WERE CONFIRMED).
CONTAINS 45.65 GRAMS OF 995 PLATINUM (1.5 OZ APW)
26 MM IN DIAMETER
EXTREMELY RARE - ONLY 10 MINTED!
ENGRAVED BY HERVÉ DUETTHE
MONNAIE DE PARIS
