In 1941, the Vichy regime was actively overhauling French coinage to strip out aluminum bronze and other strategic metals increasingly needed for the German war effort. Essai pieces from this period were produced at the Paris Mint in considerable variety as authorities tested alternative compositions and module sizes before committing to production runs. This silvered copper example — larger than the adopted type — represents a path not taken, likely rejected in favor of cheaper, easier-to-source materials.
The "grand module" variant is not listed as a standard F#141/1 strike, placing it firmly in trial territory where documentation is sparse and surviving examples rare.
In 1941, the Vichy regime was actively overhauling French coinage to strip out aluminum bronze and other strategic metals increasingly needed for the German war effort. Essai pieces from this period were produced at the Paris Mint in considerable variety as authorities tested alternative compositions and module sizes before committing to production runs. This silvered copper example — larger than the adopted type — represents a path not taken, likely rejected in favor of cheaper, easier-to-source materials.
The "grand module" variant is not listed as a standard F#141/1 strike, placing it firmly in trial territory where documentation is sparse and surviving examples rare.