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100 Francs - Charlotte John the Blind, Essai
| Issuer | Grand Duchy of Luxembourg |
|---|---|
| Year | 1946 |
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| Engraver(s) | Armand Bonnetain |
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| Reverse description | Dynamic equestrian scene depicting John the Blind, Count of Luxembourg and King of Bohemia, shown as a fully armoured medieval knight charging to the left on a rearing horse, his sword raised aloft and a heraldic shield borne on his arm. A flowing scroll or banner inscribed 'SERVIAM' (I Will Serve) issues from beneath the horse. The legend 'JANG DE BLANNEN' arcs around the upper periphery, and the commemorative dates '26-VIII- / 1346-1946' are inscribed in the exergue, marking the 600th anniversary of the Battle of Crécy and John's death. The engraver's name 'BONNETAIN' appears along the right rim. |
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| Edge | Milled |
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| Additional information |
This is a trial piece produced in 1946 as Luxembourg re-established its monetary identity following German occupation. Charlotte had spent the war years in exile — first in London, then in Montreal — broadcasting radio addresses to her occupied country and becoming the symbolic anchor of Luxembourg's government-in-exile. The decision to issue a high-denomination gold essai bearing both her likeness and the name of John the Blind, the medieval Count of Luxembourg killed at Crécy in 1346, was a deliberate act of historical rehabilitation after five years of enforced germanization.
The piece was never adopted for circulation. At 39.5 grams, the production costs alone made a circulating issue impractical in postwar Luxembourg's strained economy.