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50 Centimes Pretender Silver Proof Essai
| Issuer | France |
|---|---|
| Year | 1874 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Franc (1795-1959) |
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| Obverse description | Bare-headed effigy of Napoleon IV (the Bonapartist pretender) facing left, rendered in high relief with finely detailed hair swept back from the forehead. The legend NAPOLEON IV EMPEREUR curves along the upper periphery, while the word ESSAI appears in the lower field, flanked by a cross and a floral ornament. The engraver's signature C. de F. is incised just below the truncation of the neck. The portrait presents a youthful likeness consistent with the Prince Imperial's appearance in 1874, executed in a neoclassical style typical of French essai coinage of the period. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | A large, elaborately detailed imperial crown dominates the center of the reverse field, featuring arched bands adorned with pearls and decorative foliate elements, surmounted by a globus cruciger at the apex. The legend EMPIRE FRANCAIS curves along the upper periphery, separated by a small cross ornament. Below the crown, the denomination 50 CENT. is inscribed in bold roman numerals, with the date 1874 beneath it in the exergue area. The overall composition is bold and heraldic, characteristic of Bonapartist pretender essai coinage struck outside official mint authority. |
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