The franc (₣) is the name of several currency units. The French franc was the former currency of France until the euro was adopted in 1999 (by law, 2002 de facto). The Swiss franc is a major world currency today due to the prominence of Swiss financial institutions. The name is said to derive from the Latin inscription francorum rex (Style of the French sovereign: King of the Franks) used on early French coins  and until the 18th century, or from the French franc, meaning "free" (and "frank").