Catalog
10 Francs Essai
| Issuer | Banque Centrale du Mali |
|---|---|
| Year | 1976 |
| Type | Coin pattern |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is dominated by the large numeral '10' in the central field, with the inscription FRANCS positioned immediately below and the date 1976 placed in the exergue. A small lozenge-shaped mint mark device appears above the denomination numeral. The circular legend BANQUE CENTRALE DU MALI runs along the upper periphery, rendered in raised Latin lettering. The whole design is enclosed by a beaded inner border, typical of essai production standards. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Mali's post-independence coinage program produced a series of essais — trial strikes submitted for official approval — that in many cases never translated into circulating issues. This 1976 aluminium piece is one such example: struck for evaluation purposes, it entered collections rather than pockets. The Banque Centrale du Mali was navigating a turbulent monetary period, having rejoined the West African CFA franc zone in 1984 after years operating its own currency, and many proposed issues from the mid-1970s were rendered moot by that eventual realignment.