| Descripción del anverso |
The Belgian Congo coat of arms — a crowned shield bearing horizontal stripes and a central escutcheon charged with a lion passant — occupies the centre of the field, surmounted by a royal crown. The date 1956 flanks the shield, with '19' to the left and '56' to the right. The bilingual circular legend reads 'BELGISCH CONGO BELGE' along the upper periphery and 'RUANDA-URUNDI' along the lower periphery, separated by five-pointed stars. The word 'ESSAI' appears in the left field, and the designer's initials 'D.B.' are incuse at the base of the shield. |
| Escritura del anverso |
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| Leyenda del anverso |
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| Descripción del reverso |
A tall oil palm tree rises from the base of the field, its fronds spreading prominently across the upper portion of the coin. The denomination '5 F' is displayed in large numerals flanking the lower trunk of the palm. The bilingual circular legend reads 'BANQUE CENTRALE' along the upper periphery and 'CENTRALE BANK' along the lower periphery, each separated by five-pointed stars. The designer's initials 'D.B.' appear in small incuse letters at the base of the palm trunk. |
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| Canto |
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| Casa de moneda |
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| Tirada |
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The Banque Centrale du Congo Belge et du Ruanda-Urundi was established in 1951 to replace the earlier Comité Monétaire, centralizing currency authority across a vast colonial territory. This essai — a trial strike submitted for official approval — was produced in aluminium at a moment when the Belgian colonial administration was actively reconsidering the metallic composition of low-denomination coinage for tropical circulation, where humidity and handling accelerated corrosion in cupro-nickel alloys. The approved circulating issue followed, but trial pieces like this one were struck in extremely limited numbers, distributed largely to institutional subscribers and ministry officials rather than entering any commercial channel.