Catalog
10 Centimes Economat des Mines
| Issuer | Economat des Mines d'Ouenza |
|---|---|
| Year | |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | 26.5 mm |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Plain brass field centering a small round perforation. The legend ECONOMAT arcs across the upper portion of the coin and MINES D'OUENZA curves along the lower portion, both in raised incuse capital letters. Two small floral or rosette ornaments flank the lower legend as separators. The overall design is utilitarian, typical of industrial company tokens issued for mine worker commissary use in colonial Algeria. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Plain brass field centering a small round perforation. The denomination is boldly expressed across the field in two elements: the numeral '10' to the left and the abbreviation 'C ES' (centimes) to the right of the central hole, both in large raised characters. A short horizontal dash appears beneath the denomination. The reverse is otherwise unadorned, reflecting the purely functional character of this mining company token. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The Société de l'Ouenza operated iron ore mines in northeastern Algeria near the Tunisian border, and like many large colonial industrial concerns, it ran an economat — a company-controlled store system that tied workers to in-house purchasing. These brass tokens served as internal scrip, allowing management to pay partial wages in a medium redeemable only at company facilities. The practice was widespread in North African extractive industries through the mid-twentieth century and was eventually curtailed by labor reforms.
The Leclercq 343a designation distinguishes this from closely related variants in the series.