5 Francs Pattern, bronze

Rwanda's 1964 pattern coinage was produced during the country's earliest years of monetary independence, having only established the Banque Nationale du Rwanda in 1964 following separation from the Rwanda-Burundi currency union. This bronze striking is an essai — a test piece submitted for official evaluation — and was never approved for circulation. The franc denominations that did enter production that year were struck in aluminum, making this bronze composition a rejected proposal rather than a precursor.