100 francs pattern of Guilbert

The Maz#2558 asterisk designation marks this as an piefort or variant striking — in Mazard's cataloging convention, the asterisk typically denotes an essai or pattern produced outside normal production runs, often struck for official presentation or monetary committee review. France in 1929 was actively searching for a viable nickel-bronze alloy coinage to replace the lightweight aluminum pieces that the public had long distrusted. Guilbert's submission was one of several competing designs evaluated by the Banque de France and the Chambre des Députés during this period, none of which reached circulation in this form.