The BCEAO was established in 1959 to manage the West African CFA franc shared across the former French territories following independence — this essai, struck in 1961, predates the formal circulation issue and was produced as a pattern for official approval. Essais of this type were typically struck in very small quantities, distributed to government ministries and central bank officials for review rather than released into commerce.
The aluminium specification matched France's own low-denomination coinage philosophy of the period: cheap to produce, resistant to hoarding on metal value alone.
The BCEAO was established in 1959 to manage the West African CFA franc shared across the former French territories following independence — this essai, struck in 1961, predates the formal circulation issue and was produced as a pattern for official approval. Essais of this type were typically struck in very small quantities, distributed to government ministries and central bank officials for review rather than released into commerce.
The aluminium specification matched France's own low-denomination coinage philosophy of the period: cheap to produce, resistant to hoarding on metal value alone.