Centime

Centime (from French: centime, meaning "cent") is the French word for "cent", and is used as the name of the fractional currency unit in a number of primarily Francophone countries, where it typically represents one-hundredth of the base unit of currency. In English, the term is most closely associated with the former French franc and the Belgian franc, but it continues to be used in several nations whose currencies are pegged to the euro or historically derived from the French franc. The word is cognate with the English cent and the Spanish and Portuguese céntimo.

Etymology and linguistic usage

The word centime derives from the Latin centesimus, meaning "hundredth". It entered the French language with the decimalisation of the French currency system during the French Revolution. In French, the term is grammatically masculine (un centime) and is used generically for the subdivision of a franc or franc-based currency, just as "cent" is used for subdivisions of dollars and euros. The plural form in French is centimes. In English, both "centimes" and "centime" (as a plural) are found, though standard usage follows the French pluralisation.

The term should not be confused with the centavo or centésimo used in Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries, although all share the same Latin root. In colloquial French, "centime" is often shortened to "cent" or informally "sou" (though a sou was historically five centimes).

History

The centime was introduced in France by the law of 18 Germinal Year III (7 April 1795), which established the franc as the national currency divided into 100 centimes, replacing the old livre divided into 20 sols or 240 deniers. This decimalisation was part of the broader metrication efforts of the revolutionary period, aiming to standardise weights, measures, and money on a base-10 system.

The first French centime coins were struck in copper and later bronze. With the expansion of the French Empire and the later influence of the franc in international trade and colonial administration, the centime was adopted by many other states and territories. The Latin Monetary Union, formed in 1865, standardised the franc (and thus the centime) across France, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, and later other countries, reinforcing its European usage.

During the 20th century, high inflation in France rendered the centime practically worthless; the last French centime coin was minted in 1920 (a 25-centime piece) and the last coin denominated in centimes (5 centimes) was withdrawn after 1940. In ordinary cash transactions, prices were often rounded to the nearest franc, though the centime remained an official unit of account until the franc was replaced by the euro on 1 January 1999 (with physical euro coins and notes introduced in 2002).

Geographical usage

Countries currently using the centime

Although the French franc no longer exists, the centime remains legal tender in several currencies:

• Swiss franc: The Swiss franc (CHF) is divided into 100 centimes (called Rappen in German and centesimi in Italian, but centimes in French and Romansh). Coins are issued in 5, 10, and 20 centimes, and the 1/2 franc and 1 franc coins are sometimes referred to as 50 and 100 centimes respectively.
• CFA franc and Comorian franc: The West African CFA franc (XOF), Central African CFA franc (XAF), and the Comorian franc (KMF) are all divided into 100 centimes. Coins are rarely issued in centimes due to low value, but they exist as units of account.
• CFP franc: Used in French overseas collectivities in the Pacific (French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna), the CFP franc is similarly divided into 100 centimes.
• Algerian dinar: Although the dinar is the base unit, it is notionally divided into 100 centimes (officially referred to as centimes in French and Arabic).
• Haitian gourde: The gourde is divided into 100 centimes. In Haitian Creole, these are called santim.

Historical usage

Historically, the centime was used as a subdivision in many countries once part of or influenced by the French franc system:

• Belgian franc: Subdivided into 100 centimes until the adoption of the euro in 2002.
• Luxembourgish franc: Also divided into 100 centimes (locally centime in French and Luxembourgish) until the euro.
• Monégasque franc: Monaco used the French franc, and therefore the centime, until the euro.
• French colonial francs: Numerous former French colonies, including the Indochinese piastre, Moroccan franc, Tunisian franc, and others used the centime as the 1/100 unit.
• Italian lira: During the period of Napoleon’s influence, the lira was briefly divided into centesimi rather than centesimi; however, the term centime was used in some French-influenced Italian states. (Standard Italian uses centesimo.)
• Romanian leu: The leu was subdivided into 100 bani, but the French-influenced term centime was occasionally used in the 19th century.
• Lebanese pound: The lira is theoretically divided into 100 piastres, but centime is sometimes used informally or in historical contexts.

Coins and denominations

Centime coins have been produced in various denominations depending on the country and era. The most common denominations have been 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 25, and 50 centimes. Some notable examples:

• France: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 25, and 50 centimes. The 25c piece was last minted in 1920. Small aluminium-bronze and nickel coins for 5, 10, and 20 centimes were used before World War II.
• Switzerland: Currently issues 5, 10, and 20 centime coins (Rappen in German) in cupronickel.
• Belgium: Issued centime coins in copper-nickel and later zinc during the two World Wars. The 5-centime coin featured a Belgian lion for many decades.
• Algeria: Has issued 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 centime coins, mostly in aluminium or aluminium-bronze.
• Haiti: Issues coins denominated 5, 10, 20, 50 centimes in various metals.

Because the value of the centime is extremely small in most modern economies, many of the currencies that retain it do not mint coins for single centimes. For example, in the CFA franc zone, the smallest circulating coin is generally the 5-franc or 10-franc piece, and centimes exist only for accounting or electronic transfer purposes.

In popular culture and language

In French, the word centime appears in several idioms and expressions. Because of its small value, "ne pas avoir un centime" means to be broke. "À un centime près" means precisely, down to the last detail. The phrase "ça ne vaut pas un centime" signifies that something is worthless.

The centime also provides the root for the term centime additionnel, a surcharge or additional tax based on a proportion of the principal tax, used in some francophone fiscal systems. This terminology persists in several African countries.

See also

• Franc
• Cent (currency)
• Céntimo
• Centesimo
• Decimalisation