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5 Francs Essai
| Issuer | Banque Centrale du Congo Belge et du Ruanda-Urundi |
|---|---|
| Year | 1956 |
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| Currency | Franc (1887-1960) |
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| Obverse description | The Belgian Congo coat of arms — a crowned shield bearing horizontal stripes and a central escutcheon charged with a lion passant — occupies the centre of the field, surmounted by a royal crown. The date 1956 flanks the shield, with '19' to the left and '56' to the right. The bilingual circular legend reads 'BELGISCH CONGO BELGE' along the upper periphery and 'RUANDA-URUNDI' along the lower periphery, separated by five-pointed stars. The word 'ESSAI' appears in the left field, and the designer's initials 'D.B.' are incuse at the base of the shield. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | BELGISCH CONGO BELGE ESSAI 19 56 D.B. RUANDA-URUNDI |
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| Additional information |
The Banque Centrale du Congo Belge et du Ruanda-Urundi was established in 1951 to replace the earlier Comité Monétaire, centralizing currency authority across a vast colonial territory. This essai — a trial strike submitted for official approval — was produced in aluminium at a moment when the Belgian colonial administration was actively reconsidering the metallic composition of low-denomination coinage for tropical circulation, where humidity and handling accelerated corrosion in cupro-nickel alloys. The approved circulating issue followed, but trial pieces like this one were struck in extremely limited numbers, distributed largely to institutional subscribers and ministry officials rather than entering any commercial channel.