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1 Piastre Pattern
| Issuer | French Indochina Administration |
|---|---|
| Year | 1920-1931 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 3 mm |
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| Obverse description | Seated allegorical figure of the French Republic facing left, wearing a radiate crown and classical draped robes, holding a fasces surmounted by a spear point in her raised right hand and resting her left hand upon an anchor, emblematic of maritime trade. Tropical vegetation, including bamboo or sugar cane, rises from the ground to the left of the figure. The circular legend REPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE runs along the upper periphery, while the incomplete date indicator '19' and the word ESSAI appear in the lower exergue, flanked by the engraver's signature BARRE at lower left. The design is executed in high relief in the neoclassical style characteristic of Barre's work. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE [YEAR] ESSAI BARRE |
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| Additional information |
France struck these pattern piastres during a prolonged debate over whether to reform the Indochinese monetary system entirely. The existing trade piastre had been pegged to silver since 1885, but the metal's volatile price through the 1920s made the colonial treasury increasingly uncomfortable. Several competing designs and edge varieties were produced across the decade, which accounts for the dual Lecompte references — 276 and 276a represent distinct die or edge variations rather than simple restrikes.
No reform materialized. The piastre remained on silver until 1931, when France finally tied it to the franc instead.