10 Centimes - Napoléon I bimétallic pattern

This is an experimental pattern, not a circulating issue — produced as France's monetary authorities were actively debating whether a bimetallic construction could solve the chronic small-denomination shortages plaguing everyday commerce under the Consulate and early Empire. The silver centre concept borrowed from proposals circulating in several European mints at the time, none of which reached full production. France was no exception; the idea was abandoned before any official authorization.

Mazard 593 is a recognized rarity in the pattern series, with surviving examples numbering in the low single digits.