I think the derivation of "face value" is from playing cards. The Jack, Queen and King are known as face cards, with a "face value," in many card games (e.g., Blackjack [Vingt-et-un]), of 10.
Where there is an actual face on a coin, that is usually the obverse (also known as heads). The dictionary, however, says that the obverse is the side with the principal design. The question, then, is whether the national side is considered to have the principal design (which national pride might favor), or is the side that is common to all countries the one with the principal design? I guess even numismatists could argue over what, exactly, a principal design is. Bill Potts, CMS Roseville, CA http://metric1.org [SI Navigator] -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Louis JOURDAN Sent: Sunday, December 16, 2001 22:30 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:16672] Re: euro At 14:41 -0800 01/12/16, Bill Potts wrote: >The English word, "backside," refers to one's posterior, bum, butt, or, in >French, fesse. > >The back side (two words) of a coin is called the "reverse," with the front >side being the "obverse." > >Now, if someone would like to start an off-topic discussion of the backsides >of famous beauties throughout history, that might be interesting. <g> Thanks, Bill, today I learnt something ! In French we say "pile" for the side bearing the value of the coin and "face" for the side with the picture of the emitter of the coin (I checked in my "Littr�"). Therefore for euro coins the "national side" is the "face". But referring to the English expression "face value", it should be the reverse ? Unless "fesse" in French sounds like "face" in English ? Louis
