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1/2 Franc - Rainier III Essai
| Issuer | Monnaie de Paris |
|---|---|
| Year | 1965 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 8.75 g |
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| Obverse description | Bare-headed right-facing effigy of Prince Rainier III of Monaco, rendered in high relief with finely detailed portraiture in the academic style of engraver Robert Cochet. The truncation of the bust is clean, with the engraver's signature R.COCHET appearing in small characters below the portrait in the left field. The circular legend RAINIER III PRINCE DE MONACO arcs around the upper periphery, while the date 1965, flanked by two raised dots, appears along the lower rim. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | RAINIER III PRINCE DE MONACO R.COCHET · 1965 · (Translation: RAINIER III PRINCE OF MONACO R. COCHET .1965.) |
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| Additional information |
Essai pieces struck by the Monnaie de Paris for Monaco occupy an unusual bureaucratic niche — they were produced to satisfy French approval requirements under the monetary convention binding Monaco to France, not for circulation or collector sale in any conventional sense. Rainier III had limited practical authority over his own coinage; the designs required Paris's sign-off before regular issue could proceed.
The gold composition here is specific to the essai format. Circulation strikes of this denomination were cupro-nickel.