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1/2 Franc - Rainier III Essai
| Issuer | Monnaie de Paris |
|---|---|
| Year | 1965 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/2 Franc (1/2 MCF) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | RAINIER III PRINCE DE MONACO R.COCHET · 1965 · (Translation: RAINIER III PRINCE OF MONACO R. COCHET .1965.) |
| Reverse description | The Grimaldi dynastic shield, quarterly bearing the lozengy fusily argent and gules coat of arms of Monaco, is surmounted by the princely crown with fleurons and arches. The denomination 1/2 FR appears to the left of the shield, with the word ESSAI inscribed below it. The motto DEO JUVANTE arcs along the upper rim, separated from the design by a small cross pattee. The overall composition is clean and heraldically precise, characteristic of a Monnaie de Paris essai piece. |
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| Additional information |
Essai pieces produced by the Monnaie de Paris for Monaco occupy an unusual institutional niche — they are official trial strikes made for administrative approval, not collector sale, yet they reliably end up in the numismatic market because Monaco's tiny population and limited distribution channels meant surplus pieces were never systematically destroyed. The 1965 date places this squarely in Rainier's long consolidation of Monégasque monetary identity following the principality's 1962 constitution, which redefined sovereign arrangements with France.
Struck in silver rather than the nickel of the circulating type, essais of this denomination are known in very small numbers.