Ahmad II Bey ruled Tunisia under the French Protectorate, and essais of this period were produced by the Paris Mint as trial strikes submitted for official approval before committing to full production runs. This piece was never adopted for circulation — the 20 Franc denomination in this weight and fineness saw no issued equivalent under Ahmad II, making the essai a dead-end in the series rather than a precursor to something that followed.
Lec. 355 places it firmly in the Lecompte reference for Tunisian colonial coinage, the standard authority for this material.
Ahmad II Bey ruled Tunisia under the French Protectorate, and essais of this period were produced by the Paris Mint as trial strikes submitted for official approval before committing to full production runs. This piece was never adopted for circulation — the 20 Franc denomination in this weight and fineness saw no issued equivalent under Ahmad II, making the essai a dead-end in the series rather than a precursor to something that followed.
Lec. 355 places it firmly in the Lecompte reference for Tunisian colonial coinage, the standard authority for this material.