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50 Centimes
| Issuer | French Equatorial Africa |
|---|---|
| Year | 1942 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | RF AFRIQUE EQUATORIALE FRANCAISE LIBRE |
| Reverse description | The reverse is dominated by a large Croix de Lorraine, the emblem of the Free French Forces under General de Gaulle, centrally positioned in the field. The denomination '50 CMES' appears divided across the arms of the cross, with the date '1942' below and the mint mark 'SA' (for the South African Mint, Pretoria) above the cross. The patriotic motto 'HONNEUR PATRIE' is inscribed in the lower portion of the field, referencing the Free French government in London. The republican legend 'LIBERTE.EGALITE.FRATERNITE.' runs along the upper periphery, and the engraver's initials 'CLS' appear near the base. |
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| Additional information |
French Equatorial Africa's 1942 brass coinage was authorized by the Free French administration under de Gaulle, not Vichy — a deliberate act of parallel governance that gave the territory's currency a political charge unusual for minor colonial fractional pieces. The Pretoria Mint in South Africa struck this issue after metropolitan French production became impossible following the 1940 armistice.
Brass was the only practical option; wartime nickel and copper allocations were entirely consumed by Allied military production.