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100 Francs Independence, essai
| Issuer | République du Niger |
|---|---|
| Year | 1960 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Milled |
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| Obverse description | The national coat of arms of Niger occupies the central field, depicting a shield charged with crossed spears and a sun above a zebu head, flanked by two national flags on crossed staffs. The legend INDEPENDANCE arcs across the upper field in bold incuse lettering. A ribbon banner below the shield bears the legend REPUBLIQUE DU NIGER, while the denomination 100 FRS appears in the lower field. The word ESSAI is inscribed to the lower left, and the independence date 3 AOUT 1960 runs prominently across the lower field. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Niger's independence from France was declared on August 3, 1960. This essai — a trial strike produced for official approval rather than circulation — was almost certainly made at the Paris Mint, which retained production contracts with most of its former West African territories well into the post-independence decades. Essais of this type were typically struck in extremely limited numbers, often fewer than a dozen examples, for presentation to government officials and monetary authorities.
The .900 fine gold specification mirrors French metropolitan coinage standards of the period, a deliberate continuity at a moment of political rupture.