French Colony silver Proof Essai Piastre 19___ (1931) PR67 S NGC, Paris mint, KM-Unl., VG-5307, Maz-Unl., Lec-276. Reeded edge. Coin rotation. By Barre. Enchanting to say the least, and the perfect combination of absolute and conditional rarity with unrivaled visual allure. The coin at hand adds yet further acclaim to its advanced status with a star designation, clearly well-warranted by its teal, merlot, and goldfish orange toning palette contrasted against icy white fields. Posited by most reference works to have been produced for the 6-month-long Colonial Exposition (Exposition coloniale internationale) in Paris in 1931, we note that in his most recent work, Monnaies et Jetons de L'Indochine française, Jean Lecompte has reassigned it a date of 1920, though he provides no explanation for this revision. We have handled only other 3 examples of this essai, this being the clear outlier. While we note a new entrant to NGC's census in PR68, an advanced collector will find it hard to pass up the opportunity to own this rare type with so much eye appeal. HID09801242017 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

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