5 Francs Obverse Trial

Anjouan's 1891 coinage project was a short-lived attempt by Sultan Said Ali to establish an autonomous monetary identity for the island before French protectorate status was formalized in 1886 — making these pieces politically anomalous from the start. The sultanate never achieved a circulating coinage in any meaningful sense. Trial pieces in tin were produced as striking tests, almost certainly in France, to assess die quality and relief before committing to a precious metal or bronze issue that, in this case, never materialized.

Lec. 8 is among the rarest entries in Lecompte's catalog of French colonial obsidional and pattern issues.