5 Francs - Louis II Essai

Monaco's postwar coinage transition was complicated by Louis II's advanced age — he was 74 in 1945 and died just two years later — leaving the principality uncertain about the longevity of any new series. This essai was part of the Monnaie de Paris's broader effort to prepare coinage for Monaco following the disruptions of the Occupation, during which normal minting had been severely curtailed. The copper-aluminium alloy reflects the same material constraints driving French coinage decisions at the Liberation.

Essais of this type were produced in small quantities for official approval purposes and never entered circulation. Gad#MC135 is the standard reference for Monaco essais of this transitional period.