Catalog
1 Franc Pattern, brass
| Issuer | Banque du Congo Belge |
|---|---|
| Year | 1944 |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | The obverse features a plain field dominated by the large denomination numeral '1 Fr' in bold relief at center, flanked on either side by ornamental foliate scroll devices. The bilingual issuer legend reads 'BANK VAN BELGISCH CONGO' in two lines across the upper field and 'BANQUE DU CONGO BELGE' in two lines across the lower field, reflecting the dual Dutch and French official languages of the Belgian colonial administration. The overall design is austere and typographic in character, with the decorative scrollwork providing the principal artistic embellishment. The milled border runs continuously around the coin's periphery. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | BANK VAN BELGISCH CONGO * 1 FR * BANQUE DU CONGO BELGE (Translation: Bank of Belgian Congo) |
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| Additional information |
The 1944 Belgian Congo brass pattern franc was produced as part of wartime monetary planning while Belgium itself remained under Nazi occupation. With normal supply chains for silver and copper-nickel disrupted, the Banque du Congo Belge explored alternative compositions to keep the colonial currency functional. Brass was a practical candidate, though this particular configuration never advanced to circulation.
KM# Pn10 is one of several pattern variants documented for this year, reflecting genuine uncertainty at the issuing authority about which alloy would prove most workable under wartime procurement conditions.