1 franc - Jean Essai de frappe sur plomb

This is an essai de frappe — a trial striking used to test die alignment, pressure, and metal flow before committing to a production run. Lead was a standard proofing medium in many European mints through the mid-twentieth century precisely because its low hardness and high density reveal die imperfections that harder alloys might obscure. The "var" suffix on the Lindman reference suggests this piece diverges in some measurable way from the catalogued type, most likely in weight or die state.