10 Francs Independence, essai

Niger's independence from France was declared on August 3, 1960, and this essai was produced to mark the occasion — a trial strike never intended for circulation, almost certainly produced at the Paris Mint in the very limited quantities typical of French-sphere proof essais of this period. The KM#E1 designation confirms it as the first essai listed for Niger, placing it at the founding moment of the republic's numismatic identity.

French West African successor states routinely commissioned gold essais in 1960 as sovereignty tokens rather than functional currency. Most survive in single-digit or low double-digit populations.