20 Cents

French Indochina's silver coinage of the 1890s was tied directly to the piastre system established by decree in 1885, with fractional denominations like this piece intended to displace the hodgepodge of Chinese, Spanish, and Mexican silver then circulating across Tonkin, Annam, and Cochinchine. The Paris Mint struck these under contract, and the relatively short three-year window for this type reflects ongoing adjustments to the colony's monetary framework during a period when trade with southern China was reshaping demand for subsidiary coinage.