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25 Centimes NORODOM Ier 1860 frappe fruste
| Issuer | Cambodia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1860 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Milled |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | Central device depicting the royal emblem of the Kingdom of Cambodia, featuring the face of a kala or mythological guardian figure surmounted by a multi-tiered royal crown, surrounded by elaborate radiating decorative elements in a traditional Khmer artistic style. The deeply struck central motif is encircled by radiating flame-like or feather-like ornamentation filling the field to the dentilated border. The denomination legend 25 CENTIMES is inscribed along the lower periphery. |
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| Additional information |
Cambodia had no indigenous coin-striking tradition when the French protectorate began formalizing its administrative grip in the late 1850s. These 25 centimes pieces were produced in Paris as part of a broader attempt to introduce a Western decimal currency into a kingdom that had operated on a barter and weight-silver economy. Norodom I had only recently consolidated his throne amid dynastic conflict with his half-brother Sivotha, and the currency was as much a political instrument of French normalization as it was a commercial necessity.
The "frappe fruste" designation here is significant — it indicates a deliberately degraded or weakly executed strike, distinct from a worn specimen, pointing to production inconsistencies at the Paris mint for this low-denomination colonial issue. Lec#37 and Lec#38 suggest minor die variants within the type.