5 Francs - Rainier III Essai

Essai pieces from Monaco in this period were struck specifically for presentation to the Conseil Numismatique and select institutional collectors — they were never intended for circulation and exist in strictly limited numbers. Rainier III used such issues in part to assert Monaco's continued status as a sovereign minting authority at a time when the principality's monetary arrangements with France were under periodic renegotiation.

KM#E56 is among the heavier gold essais of the series, struck in .920 fineness rather than the finer standard used for some contemporary French issues.