1 Ghirsh / Piastre Essai

The Banque de Syrie et du Grand-Liban was established under French Mandate authority in 1919 and held the note-issuing monopoly for both Syria and Lebanon. This 1925 essai — a trial strike submitted for official approval rather than circulation — dates to the early years of monetary reorganization under the newly introduced Syrian pound, which replaced the Egyptian pound as the territory's currency unit. Essais from this issuer are characteristically scarce; they were produced in small numbers for administrative review and rarely escaped the approval process into broader hands.