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Sapeque Pattern
| Issuer | Monnaie de Paris |
|---|---|
| Year | 1904 |
| Type | Coin pattern |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Hexagonal zinc flan with a central hexagonal hole, the field around the hole decorated with a six-pointed star motif formed by overlapping triangles in low relief. The circular legend INDO-CHINE FRANÇAISE curves around the upper periphery, while the mintmark A and date 1904 appear in the lower exergual area. The overall design is plain and utilitarian, reflecting the pattern's experimental character for colonial cash coinage. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | INDO-CHINE FRANÇAISE A 1904 (Translation: French Indochina) |
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| Additional information |
The sapeque was France's attempt to adapt a familiar monetary unit for Indochinese circulation — the word itself derived from the Malay sapèque, a corruption of the Chinese cash coin that had saturated the region for centuries. By 1904, the colonial administration was still wrestling with how to displace indigenous cast-bronze cash coins from everyday petty commerce. This zinc pattern was part of that effort, produced at Paris as a trial piece rather than an issue intended for release.
Zinc was an unusual choice — corrosion-prone in tropical humidity — which likely contributed to the design never advancing to full production in this metal.