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5 Francs - Mohammed V Essai
| Issuer | Morocco |
|---|---|
| Year | 1929 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5 Francs |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central motif consists of a square-on-point (lozenge) frame enclosing the denomination numeral 5 above the inscription FRANCS and below it the word ESSAI, with the engraver's cornucopia privy mark at the base of the central cartouche. The lozenge is set within a circular arabesque medallion of interlaced strapwork and floral ornament. The upper arc of the outer border carries the Latin legend MAROC, flanked by decorative rosettes, while the lower arc bears the corresponding Arabic inscription. The composition exemplifies the Art Deco–inflected Orientalist style employed by Bazor for French Protectorate Moroccan coinage. |
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| Mintage | 1347 (1929) - Wing |
| Additional information |
Essai pieces struck for French Protectorate Morocco were produced at the Paris Mint as pattern submissions for approval, not for circulation — meaning surviving examples come almost entirely from the original presentation strikes. The 1929 date places this squarely in the early reign of Mohammed V, who was installed by French authorities at age seventeen largely because he was considered politically manageable. That calculation proved spectacularly wrong by 1953, when France exiled him to Madagascar, inadvertently transforming him into a nationalist symbol.
Lec. 237 is among the scarcer Morocco essais of the interwar period.