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2 Francs Essai, raised design
| Issuer | Monnaie de Paris |
|---|---|
| Year | 1948 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 10 g |
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| Obverse description | Seated allegorical figure of Liberty facing slightly right, helmeted and draped, holding an olive or grain spray aloft in her right hand, her left arm resting upon a large shield bearing the monogram 'RF' (République Française). The engraver's signature 'A. RIVAUD' and the word 'ESSAI' appear in the lower field beneath the figure. The circumferential legend 'UNION FRANÇAISE' arcs across the top of the field, with 'REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE' continuing around the left and lower periphery, all rendered in raised block lettering characteristic of the essai type. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | UNION FRANÇAISE REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE ESSAI (Translation: French Union French Republic Trial Strike) |
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| Additional information |
Pattern coinage from Monnaie de Paris in 1948 often explored compositional and relief alternatives before production types were finalized, and this essai with raised design represents exactly that process — a test piece submitted for official consideration rather than public circulation. France's postwar monetary reconstruction involved repeated trials across denominations, and many essais from this period exist in very small quantities distributed almost exclusively to collectors through the Monnaie de Paris sales program.