{{Coin image box 1 double
| header = 20 French Centime with Marianne on Obverse.
| image = File:20 Centimes (France).jpg
| caption_left = Obverse: Marianne wearing the Phrygian cap of liberty.
| caption_right = Reverse: Face value and French motto: "Liberté, égalité, fraternité".
| width = 300
| footer = This coin was minted from 1962 to 2001.
| position = right
| margin = 0
}}
thumb|right|10 French centimes (1963)
thumb|right|10 French centimes (1963)
A centime (from ) is a fractional monetary unit. It equals one-hundredth of a franc in Switzerland, one-hundredth of a dinar in Algeria, and one-hundredth of a dirham in Morocco. It was formerly worth one-hundredth of a franc in other Francophone countries, such as Belgium and France, until the adoption of the euro.
In France, the usage of centime goes back to the introduction of the decimal monetary system under Napoleon. This system aimed at replacing non-decimal fractions of older coins. A five-centime coin was known as a sou, i.e. a solidus or shilling.
In Francophone Canada of a Canadian dollar is officially known as a cent (pronounced /sɛnt/) in both English and French. However, in practice, the form of cenne (pronounced /sɛn/) has completely replaced the official cent. Spoken and written use of the official form cent in Francophone Canada is exceptionally uncommon.
In the Canadian French vernacular sou, sou noir ( means "black" in French), cenne, and cenne noire are all widely known, used, and accepted monikers when referring to either of a Canadian dollar or the 1¢ coin (colloquially known as a "penny" in North American English).
Subdivision of euro
In the European community, cent is the official name for one hundredth of a euro. However, in French-speaking countries, the word centime is the preferred term. The Superior Council of the French language of Belgium recommended in 2001 the use of centime, since cent is also the French word for "hundred". An analogous decision was published in the Journal officiel in France (2 December 1997).
In Morocco, dirhams are divided into 100 centimes and one may find prices in the country quoted in centimes rather than in dirhams. Sometimes centimes are known as francs or, in former Spanish areas, pesetas.
Usage
A centime is one-hundredth of the following basic monetary units:
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{{Coin image box 1 double
| header = 5 Ethiopian santims
| image =
| caption_left = Obverse: Ethiopian lion head, year and country name.
| caption_right = Reverse: Vega bond Hunter and face value.
| width = 250
| footer = 5 santims were made of two metals, brass (1969 only) and steel coated with nickel (1996-). This particular coin is made of brass (1969). Coins made of steel are magnetic and the lion head is bigger.
| position = right
| margin = 0
}}
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Current
thumb|right|Ethiopia, 25 centimes 1944
- Algerian dinar
- Burundian franc
- CFP franc
- CFA franc
- Comorian franc
- Congolese franc
- Djiboutian franc
- Ethiopian birr (as santim)
- Guinean franc
- Haitian gourde
- Moroccan dirham
- Rwandan franc
- Swiss franc (by French and English speakers only; Italian speakers use centesimo. See Rappen)
Obsolete
thumb|right|Centime 1797–98, French First Republic. First year of release.
- Algerian franc
- Belgian franc (Dutch: )
- Cambodian franc
- French Camerounian franc
- French Guianan franc
- French franc
- Guadeloupe franc
- Katangese franc
- Latvian lats (Latvian: santīms)
- Luxembourgish franc
- Malagasy franc
- Malian franc
- Martinique franc
- Monegasque franc
- Moroccan franc
- New Hebrides franc
- Réunion franc
- Spanish Peseta
- Tunisian franc
- Westphalian frank
