The franc is a monetary unit used first in France and then by several other countries. It is generally divided into 100 cents.

The first currency so designated is the horse franc minted in France in 1360. It is a gold coin issued to pay the ransom of the King of France John II Le Bon taken prisoner by the English at the Battle of Poitiers . The term continued and was chosen in 1795 when the pound was replaced by a decimal currency. Subsequently, around forty countries, most of them French-speaking, called their currency franc in Europe or in former French possessions. After two centuries, the French franc was replaced by the euro, which was put into circulation on January 1, 2002. But ten currencies still bear the name franc today, used in around twenty countries.