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French Indochina
50 Cents
法屬印度支那
50分
Item number: A1512
Year: AD 1936
Material: Silver
Size: 29.0 x 29.0 x 2.2 mm
Weight: 13.5 g
Manufactured by: Paris Mint
Provenance: Fuchin Coin 2020
This is a 50-cent silver coin issued in AD 1936, circulated in the region of French Indochina.
The obverse of the coin features Marianne, the symbol of the French Republic, depicted seated with her left hand resting on an armrest and her right hand holding a fasces. The lower edge displays the year of issuance, “1936,” while the upper edge bears the inscription “REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE” (French Republic). The name “BARRE,” engraved in the lower-left corner, represents the signature of Albert Désiré Barre, the chief engraver of the Paris Mint.
The reverse of the coin features a wreath composed of intertwined laurel and oak leaves. At the centre of the wreath is the coin’s denomination, “50 CENT.” (50 cents). The upper edge of the wreath bears the inscription “· INDO-CHINE FRANÇAISE ·” (French Indochina), while the lower edge specifies the coin’s purity and weight: “TITRE 0,900. POIDS 13 GR. 5” (0.900 purity, 13.5 grams).
French Indochina, established by France in the latter half of the 19th century, referred to its colonial territories in Southeast Asia, encompassing present-day Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The 50-cent silver coin featuring the image of Marianne was first issued in 1896, and its circulation extended to neighbouring regions of China, such as Yunnan and Guangxi. Consequently, in China, this coin and the silver coin issued by British Hong Kong were colloquially referred to as the “Seating Dollar” and the “Standing Dollar,” respectively, based on the posture of the figure depicted on the coins.