French au revoir to franc

French shops to only take euros from Monday

PARIS, France -- France is saying a final goodbye to the franc as the euro becomes the country's sole currency.

Since the new year French shoppers have been able to use francs or euros in shops but from midnight Sunday the franc will become obsolete.

All French banks will continue to exchange francs for euros until June 30 and the Bank of France will operate an exchange system for up to 10 years.

But already 95 percent of French cash purchases are using the new currency, finance minister Laurent Fabius said.

The first franc, a gold coin, was created in December 1360 to pay off ransom to the English to free King Jean Le Bon, held for four years during the 100 Years War.

The franc slipped out of use but was revived in its current form in 1795.

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Two-thirds of franc notes have already been collected and destroyed -- punched with holes and ground to shreds or carted deep into the mountains of central France to be burned up in incinerators owned by the Bank of France.

Two polls published on Sunday show that up to half of French had no regrets about losing the national currency -- 61 percent of those polled by the IFOP firm and 51 percent of those polled by H20/DraftWorldwide.

And the polls show clear agreement that the euro will simplify life for travellers while there is also hope that the currency will become a strong currency to counter the dollar.

Parisien café owner Jean-Claude told The Associated Press news agency: France no longer exists. It's Europe now."

And Henri Chabert, a retired architect, said: "The franc is part of the history of France. "The euro isn't. It is part of the history of Europe. I'm sad to see part of my history go but I'm in favour of the euro."

Twelve of the EUs 15 nations have switched to the euro with only the UK, Sweden and Denmark opting out.

The Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland have already dropped their old currencies and most of the rest will do so on February 28.