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1 Franc Pattern, steel
| Issuer | Banque du Congo Belge (Bank of Belgian Congo) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1944 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A left-facing African elephant is depicted in the central field, rendered in a bold, naturalistic style characteristic of mid-20th century colonial coinage. The date '1944' appears in the exergue below the elephant. The engraver's stylized initials 'AB' are positioned discreetly behind the animal's tail. The word 'PATT' appears above, indicating the pattern status of the piece. |
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| Mintage | 1944 |
| Additional information |
The Belgian Congo's wartime coinage presents a documented materials problem: zinc and nickel were critical war supplies by 1944, forcing the Banque du Congo Belge to test steel as a substitute. This piece is one of several pattern strikes exploring alternative compositions that year, most of which never reached production approval. The zinc 1 franc ultimately went forward instead.