ObverseImage: Wikimedia Commons · Barre, Jean-Jacques (Paris, 03–08–1793 - Paris, 10–06–1855), graveur en médailles - Médailleur · CC0
Essai 1 Centime 1793
France
1793
Reference data compiled from public catalogs
Specifications
| Country | France |
| Years Minted | 1793 |
| Composition | Copper |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
Design
Obverse
Depicts a liberty cap on a pole, symbolizing the French Revolution's ideals of freedom.
Reverse
Shows the denomination '1 Centime' along with the year 1793.
History & Notable Facts
This essai 1 centime from 1793 was struck using recycled copper from old French coins, a practical move amid the Revolution's metal shortages.
That makes it a tangible link to the era's economic upheaval, when France was scrapping its chaotic livre system for decimal currency. The design, by engraver Augustin Dupré, features a simple wreath and the new republic's motto, though production was limited to a handful of trials.
We don't know the exact number made; records from that period are spotty, lost to time and Revolution.
If you think it's just another old coin, well, it's not even legal tender—more a what-if from history's scrap heap.
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