Catalog
1 Franc Trial
| Issuer | Banque Centrale du Congo Belge et du Ruanda-Urundi |
|---|---|
| Year | 1957 |
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| Composition | Aluminium |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | BELGISCH CONGO BELGE 19 57 RUANDA-URUNDI ESSAI |
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Trial strikes for the Banque Centrale du Congo Belge et du Ruanda-Urundi were produced in the mid-1950s as Belgium began consolidating the monetary administration of its central African territories under a single institution. The 1957 aluminium essai for the 1-franc denomination was part of that transitional testing process — the bank itself had only been established in 1952, replacing the dual-issuing arrangement that had existed since the 1920s.
KM#E5 is catalogued as an essai, meaning it was struck for approval rather than circulation. Aluminium was the intended production metal, so this trial represents a composition test rather than an experimental alternative.