1 Centime pattern without essai words, matt proof

The 1898 French centime patterns form part of a broader government trial program conducted ahead of the definitive Third Republic minor coinage reforms. Most pieces from this program were struck with "ESSAI" incused in the field or edge as a control mark — this example omits that designation entirely, placing it in a distinct category documented separately by Mazard and Gadoury. The matt proof surface was achieved by sandblasting or acid-treating the dies rather than the polished-die method used for circulation proofs, a technique the Paris Mint applied selectively to pattern submissions during this decade.