Catalog
25 Francs Essai
| Issuer | Banque Centrale du Mali |
|---|---|
| Year | 1976 |
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| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
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| Obverse description | Large denomination numeral '25' displayed prominently in the center of the field, with the word 'FRANCS' inscribed below. The circular legend 'BANQUE CENTRALE DU MALI' runs along the periphery, flanked by a decorative serrated or zigzag border. Four arrowhead or chevron ornaments are positioned at cardinal points around the central numeral. The date '1976' appears in the lower exergual area, with two small engraver's marks flanking it. |
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| Mintage | 1976 |
| Additional information |
Essai pieces from the Banque Centrale du Mali are pattern-grade strikes produced for official approval, not circulation — Mali's monetary authority used the French essai system inherited from the West African franc zone infrastructure. The BCM issued very few independent essai types before the country rejoined the West African CFA franc arrangement in 1984, making the window for distinctly Malian coinage narrow.
Aluminium essais of this period were typically struck in extremely limited quantities, often fewer than a few hundred pieces, distributed primarily to approving ministries and international coin archives.