| An essai coin is a French pattern coin which was produced for the purpose of evaluating a proposed coinage design and/or a proposed metallic composition. Here is an 1848 France Essai 10 Centimes which has been graded MS64 by NGC. This coin is also attributed on the NGC label as being MAZ-1357 from the Mazard reference book on essai coins. This proposed design for the French 10 Centimes, also referred to as a Decime, features an obverse portrait and a reverse that shows a ruler measuring out three centimeters. The coin appears to be copper and is a mostly medium brown color with lots of original mint red that pops through in the more protected areas of the design. The piece is free of major marks, spots or other issues,
except for a light scratch running through the neck on the obverse, and is an interesting French pattern coin from the mid-19th Century. |
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