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2 francs Guynemer Epreuve de contrôle Avers
| Issuer | Monnaie de Paris |
|---|---|
| Year | 1997 |
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| Currency | New franc (1960-2001) |
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| Obverse description | This piece is an épreuve de contrôle d'avers (obverse control trial), struck in lead, and presents the reverse face as a series of concentric raised rings radiating outward from a central boss — a characteristic feature of Monnaie de Paris control impressions used to verify die pressure and alignment. The surface bears no legible design or legend, serving purely as a technical die-testing artifact. The field exhibits the irregular, softly deformed character typical of lead trial strikes, with the reeded edge partially visible around the circumference. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | As an épreuve de contrôle d'avers (obverse control trial piece) struck in lead, the reverse face — shown in the image — displays a series of concentric raised circular ridges emanating from a central raised boss, filling the entire field. This pattern is the hallmark of a Monnaie de Paris control trial, produced to test die striking pressure and uniformity rather than to reproduce coin design. The surface is unadorned by any legend, effigy, or decorative element, and the soft lead medium shows characteristic flow marks and deformation at the periphery. |
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| Additional information |
The Guynemer 2 francs was struck to commemorate Georges Guynemer, the French World War I ace credited with 54 aerial victories before his disappearance over Poelkapelle in September 1917. His body was never recovered. The épreuve de contrôle avers is a lead striking used internally by the Monnaie de Paris as a quality-control check on the obverse die — not a coin intended for circulation or the collector market, but a working artifact of the production process itself.
Lead's malleability makes it ideal for revealing die imperfections before committing to silver or other final-metal runs. These control pieces rarely surface outside institutional archives.