It seems the French (well the French Postal Service to be more precise) are actually making real money... as in, not the fake fiat stuff:
http://www.laposte.fr/presse_communiques_dossiers_presse_groupe_264choisit_poste-_2250.html
The 5 euro pieces have 10g of silver in them and cost 5 euros... which would mean they're valuing 1kg (roughly 32 oz) at 500 euros - which is actually pretty close to market price - especially in view of the fact that these are minted coins.
What's more, these are legal tender (although I'm damned if I'd spend them - I'd certainly take them if I was a shopkeeper though)!
It's already hard enough to find 2 euro coins for vending machines.
The fallacies of intellectual communism, a compilation - On the nature of power