10 Qirsh / Piastres Essai

Syria's 1929 coinage was produced under the French Mandate authority, with the Banque de Syrie et du Liban managing currency issuance. Essai pieces from this period were struck at the Paris Mint as pattern submissions for approval before circulating types were authorized — standard French Mandate practice, but one that kept mintages vanishingly small. The KM#E4 essai for this denomination was never intended to circulate, which accounts for the near-universal survival in mint state.

Lecompte 29 cross-references confirm Paris origin.