5 Francs - Napoleon III Pattern

This is an essai struck at the Paris Mint in 1853 as Napoleon III's government worked to establish a definitive coinage following the proclamation of the Second Empire in December 1852. Several competing portrait and reverse designs were tested before the final production type was settled, and Pn90 represents one of the rejected configurations that never entered circulation. Pattern production at this period was tightly controlled — pieces were distributed among ministry officials, monetary committee members, and favored collectors rather than sold openly.

Mintage for any single pattern reference from this exercise almost certainly numbers in the dozens at most.