100 Francs - Louis Philippe Pattern

This 1831 bronze piece is an essai — a pattern struck for official evaluation rather than circulation. Louis-Philippe had just taken the throne following the July Revolution of 1830, and the new regime needed coinage that distanced itself visually from both the Bourbon monarchy and the Napoleonic issues that preceded it. Multiple competing designs were submitted and struck in various metals for examination by the mint administration and the conseil des ministres.

Bronze patterns from this selection process were struck in small numbers, almost certainly fewer than a dozen examples per design type.