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1 Franc Union Française Pattern
| Issuer | Monnaie de Paris |
|---|---|
| Year | 1948 |
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| Value | 1 Franc |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Left-facing effigy of Marianne wearing a winged Phrygian cap, rendered in low relief in the style of engraver Lucien Georges Bazor. Four sailing ships appear in the background field, evoking French maritime and colonial heritage. The date 1948 is inscribed in the exergue. The circular legend reads REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE UNION FRANÇAISE, with the engraver's signature L.BAZOR and the trial designation ESSAI appearing in the field. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE UNION FRANÇAISE L.BAZOR GB ESSAI 1948 (Translation: FRENCH REPUBLIC FRENCH UNION BAZOR TRIAL) |
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| Additional information |
The Union Française was the short-lived federal structure created by France's 1946 constitution to repackage its colonial empire as a voluntary association — a political fiction that satisfied almost no one. Pattern coinage struck under this designation in 1948 reflects the transitional uncertainty of the period; the Union Française monetary identity was never fully realized before decolonization rendered the entire framework obsolete. Most member territories retained or developed their own coinage rather than adopting a unified franc series.
As an essai, this piece was never approved for circulation. The nickel brass composition itself was part of the evaluation process.