50 Centimes - Yusuf Copper-nickel Essai

Essais for the Cherifian Empire were produced in Paris, where the Monnaie de Paris held effective control over Moroccan coinage design and production throughout the French protectorate period. This 1921 trial piece predates the regular copper-nickel circulation issues, which did not appear until later in the decade — the Monnaie de Paris used such essais to secure official approval from both French protectorate authorities and the Moroccan makhzen before committing to full production runs. Yusuf reigned as Sultan under French oversight from 1912 until his death in 1927, with genuine monetary authority residing in Paris rather than Rabat.