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10 Centimes - Ahmad II
| Issuer | Tunisia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1941-1942 |
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| Composition | Zinc |
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| Obverse description | Central round hole surrounded by Arabic inscriptions arranged in three horizontal registers across the field, enclosed within a beaded inner border and a finely scalloped outer rim. The upper register bears the name of the Bey of Tunis, Ahmad II, in stylized Arabic calligraphy. The middle register displays the denomination '١۰' (10) to the right of the hole, with additional Arabic text to the left. The lower register bears the Hijri date '١٣٦١' (1361), corresponding to 1942. The overall design reflects the dual Franco-Tunisian administrative character of the French Protectorate coinage. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | ١٠ ١٣٦١ |
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| Additional information |
Tunisia's zinc coinage of 1941–42 was a direct consequence of the metal shortages imposed by the Vichy French administration, which had been stripping strategic materials for the German war effort since the armistice of 1940. Copper and nickel had effectively disappeared from colonial minting programs across French North Africa. Ahmad II, the Husainid bey under whose name these pieces were struck, held almost entirely ceremonial authority — real administrative power sat with the Resident-General in Tunis.
Zinc proved notoriously difficult to strike cleanly, and corrosion in circulation was rapid in the North African climate.