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50 Centimes - Yusuf Piedfort Essai, 10g Cu-Ni
| Issuer | Cherifian Empire (French Protectorate of Morocco) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1925 |
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| Orientation | Coin alignment ↑↓ |
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| Obverse description | Central design features a large five-pointed star (Solomon's Seal / Seal of the Sherifian Empire) rendered in fine interlaced geometric linework, enclosing a stylized rosette at its center, all set against an elaborately scrolled arabesque background of curling vegetal motifs. The entire composition is contained within a plain inner circle bordered by a raised rim. The Latin legend EMPIRE CHERIFIEN arcs along the upper portion of the border, while the Arabic inscription الإمبراطورية الشريفة is positioned along the lower arc. The dodecagonal flan gives the piece a distinctly geometric character consistent with the broader Moroccan decorative tradition. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Piedforts are double-thickness trial strikes produced for official examination and archival purposes — not for circulation — and Morocco's French Protectorate administration used them extensively during the 1920s as Paris debated coinage reforms for the territory. This essai was struck at the Paris Mint under the authority of the Résidence générale, which controlled Moroccan fiscal policy while Sultan Yusef reigned as nominal sovereign. The arrangement was explicit: the Sultan's name appeared on the coinage, but the French Treasury determined the denominations, alloys, and production schedules.
Surviving examples are institutional survivors rather than collected pieces — most were filed with the Monnaie de Paris or distributed to officials.