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1 Franc - Albert I Essai, French text
| Issuer | Belgian Congo (1908-1960) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1920 |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse lettering | 1 F ESSAI 19 20 CONGO BELGE (Translation: Belgian Congo) |
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| Additional information |
The Belgian Congo's 1920 coinage program included a series of essais — official trial strikes — produced in Brussels as the colonial administration weighed both design and metal choices for circulating issues. Albert I had assumed the Belgian throne in 1909, inheriting the Congo from the disastrous personal rule of Leopold II, and the early coinage of his reign was still being standardized a decade later. The French-text variant reflects the linguistic division baked into Belgian colonial administration, with parallel issues produced in Dutch.
KM#E5 is among the scarcer essai entries for this series. Trial pieces from the Brussels mint of this period were struck in very limited numbers for governmental approval, not distribution.