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5 Centimes - Louis Philippe I pattern of Barre with module of 5 centimes
| Issuer | Monnaie de Paris |
|---|---|
| Year | 1846 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | 1 January 1935 |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The central field features the year 1846 in large numerals, enclosed within a wreath of laurel branches tied at the base with a ribbon bow. The circular legend REFONTE DES MONNAIES DE CUIVRE arcs around the upper portion of the field, while the word ESSAI appears prominently at the bottom, outside the wreath, identifying this piece as a trial or pattern strike. A beaded border runs along the inner edge of the rim. The overall design is clean and restrained, typical of mid-nineteenth-century French essai coinage. |
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| Mint | Paris Mint |
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| Additional information |
Barre's 1846 pattern program for the French five-centime denomination came at a moment when the July Monarchy was quietly reassessing its subsidiary coinage — the existing copper issues had been criticized for inconsistent planchet quality and poor striking definition. Jean-Jacques Barre, appointed engraver general at the Monnaie de Paris in 1855, was in fact still working his way toward that role in 1846, and these trial pieces document exactly how he was building his case. The "module of 5 centimes" designation distinguishes this from heavier pattern variants produced simultaneously at different weights and diameters.
Louis Philippe's government never adopted the redesign. The revolution of February 1848 ended the question entirely.