1 Franc - Louis II Essai

Louis II was in an impossible position by 1943 — Monaco nominally under Italian occupation until September, then German, with normal commerce effectively suspended. The franc essais of this period were pattern strikes produced for approval rather than circulation, and most were retained by the administration or distributed among officials. Few entered trade channels at all, which explains why survivors tend to appear in substantially better condition than the issued coinage of the same years.