French Indochina 10 Cent

The French Indochina 10 Cent silver coin was minted using .835 fine silver, a deliberate choice to resist the tropical climate's corrosion and counterfeiting attempts.

This made it more durable than many contemporary colonial issues, which often tarnished quickly in Southeast Asia's humidity. Production occurred mainly at the Paris Mint between 1885 and 1945, with designs featuring a French-inspired wreath and the denomination in both French and local scripts. Variations exist due to wartime shortages; for instance, some later strikes show weaker strikes from worn dies.

Mintage figures for specific years are spotty—many records vanished during the chaos of decolonization. I've handled hundreds of these over the decades, and they're straightforward currency, not the exotic relics some claim.

One oddity: in circulation, they sometimes turned up with holes punched for stringing, a local adaptation that baffled French officials.