Item number: A1683

Year: AD 1948

Material: Aluminium

Size: 22.9 x 22.9 x 1.5 mm

Weight: 1.3g

Manufactured by: Paris Mint

Provenance: Da Chen Stamps and Coins Collection 2014

This is a 1-franc aluminium coin minted by the Paris Mint and issued by the Central Overseas Treasury of France (Caisse Centrale de la France d’Outre-Mer). It was exclusively intended for use by members of the French Union (Union française) within French Equatorial Africa (Afrique Équatoriale Française, or AEF).

The obverse features a left-facing bust of Marianne, the personification of the French Republic, wearing a winged Phrygian cap. In the background, four ships are anchored, which may symbolise the four political entities of French Equatorial Africa: Gabon, Middle Congo, Ubangi-Shari, and Chad. Encircling the upper portion is the inscription “REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE UNION FRANÇAISE” (“French Republic, French Union”). The date “1948” appears at the bottom, indicating the year of issue. Along the horizon line of the sea, small letters “L.BAZOR GB·” are present, alongside a single-winged symbol to the right of the date, both serving as the personal marks of Lucien Georges Bazor, the chief engraver of the Paris Mint from AD 1930 to 1958. To the left of the date, the Cornucopia (Horn of Plenty), the official mintmark of the Paris Mint, is visible.

The reverse depicts the front-facing head of a slender-horned gazelle, flanked on either side by vertically aligned agricultural crops, identified as sorghum, maise, and cotton. The denomination “1F.” (“1 Franc”) is placed centrally, separated by the gazelle’s horns. Encircling the upper section appears to be coffee berries, while the lower inscription reads “AFRIQUE ÉQUATORIALE FRANÇAISE,” signifying “French Equatorial Africa.”

French Equatorial Africa was a colonial federation established by France in AD 1910, comprising Gabon, Middle Congo (now the Republic of Congo), Ubangi-Shari (now the Central African Republic), and Chad. The federation’s administrative centre was Brazzaville (now the capital of the Republic of Congo) and was governed by a colonial governor-general. In AD 1934, France dissolved the federal structure for financial reasons, transitioning to a centralised fiscal administration. However, by AD 1937, the federation was reinstated, granting its constituent colonies limited autonomy. During World War II, following France’s defeat in AD 1940, French Equatorial Africa was among the first territories to support Charles de Gaulle’s Free French movement, and Brazzaville became the provisional capital of Free France.

After the war, the Fourth French Republic sought to preserve ties with its overseas territories, leading to the establishment of the French Union in AD 1946. French Equatorial Africa was no longer classified as a “colony” but was instead reorganised into four overseas territories, each granted representation in the French National Assembly. However, their autonomy remained limited, with foreign affairs, defence, and economic policy still controlled by the central government in Paris. A resolution in AD 1945 maintained that the currency of French Equatorial Africa, known as the “Colonies Françaises d’Afrique, Afrique Centrale” (CFA Franc), would continue to be issued by the French authorities in Paris. In AD 1948, colonial authorities began issuing 1- and 2-franc coins. By AD 1957, France introduced further reforms to the federal structure, granting greater autonomy to the territories.

In AD 1958, as part of Charles de Gaulle’s initiative to create the French Community (Communauté Française), the federation of French Equatorial Africa was formally dismantled. The four constituent territories—Gabon, the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, and Chad—declared independence in AD 1960, emerging as sovereign nations. The French Union subsequently dissolved, replaced by the short-lived French Community.

物件編號: A1683

年代: 公元 1948 年

材質: 鋁

尺寸: 22.9 x 22.9 x 1.5 mm

重量: 1.3g

製造地: 巴黎鑄幣廠

來源: 大城郵幣社 2014

這是一枚由巴黎鑄幣廠鑄造，法國海外儲蓄中央銀行(Caisse Centrale de la France d’Outre-Mer)發行，僅供法蘭西聯邦(Union française)成員，法屬赤道非洲(Afrique Équatoriale française，或AEF)，使用的1法郎鋁幣。

鋁幣的正面為法蘭西共和國的擬人化身，瑪麗安娜(Marianne)的左側半身像，頭戴附有翅膀的弗里吉亞帽。背景停泊著四艘船，可能代表了法屬赤道非洲的四個政治實體：加彭、中剛果、烏班吉-沙裡、乍得。上方環繞著法文「REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE UNION FRANÇAISE」，即「法蘭西共和國，法蘭西聯邦」。下方「1948」為發行年。船隻停泊的海平面有著小字「L.BAZOR GB·」，與下方發行年右側的單翼符號，皆為呂西安·喬治·巴佐爾(Lucien Georges Bazor)的標記，其為公元1930 年至 1958 年巴黎鑄幣廠的首席雕刻師。發行年左側的豐裕之角(Cornucopia)則為巴黎鑄幣廠的標記。

鋁幣的背面為細角蹬羚的頭部正面，兩側由上至下分別為高粱、玉米、棉花等農作物。「1F.」即「1法郎」，被蹬羚的角從中分開。上方環繞著的應為咖啡果實，下方環繞法文「AFRIQUE EQUATORIALE FRANÇAISE」，即「法屬赤道非洲」。

法屬赤道非洲，是法國在中非地區建立的殖民聯邦，成立於公元1910年，由加彭、中剛果(今剛果共和國)、烏班吉-沙里(今中非共和國)和乍得四個殖民地組成。該聯邦的行政中心設於布拉柴維爾(今剛果首都)，由總督管轄。公元1934年，法國出於財政考量暫時廢除了聯邦結構，改為統一財政管理，但至公元1937年底恢復聯邦體制，並允許各殖民地保有部分自治權。二戰期間，公元1940年，法國戰敗後，法屬赤道非洲成為最早支持戴高樂自由法國運動的殖民地之一，布拉柴維爾成為自由法國的臨時首都。

二戰後，執政的法蘭西第四共和為了維繫殖民地與本土的關係，於公元1946年建立法蘭西聯邦，試圖以更為寬鬆的政治架構來維持對殖民地的控制。法屬赤道非洲不再以「殖民地」的身份存在，而是被重新劃分為四個「海外領地」，並允許各地區在法國國民議會中擁有代表席位。儘管如此，當地的自治權仍然有限，法國中央政府仍負責外交、國防與經濟決策。公元1945年決議，法屬赤道非洲的貨幣，法屬中非殖民地法郎(Colonies françaises d’Afrique, Afrique centrale，或CFA)，仍由巴黎當局發行。公元1948年，殖民地開始發行面額為1與2法郎的硬幣。公元1957年，法國進一步調整聯邦體制，賦予各領地更大的自治權，最終在公元1958年，隨著戴高樂推動的「法蘭西共同體」成立，法屬赤道非洲的聯邦架構正式解體。加彭、剛果共和國、中非共和國和乍得分別在公元1960年宣告獨立，成為主權國家，法蘭西聯邦也隨之瓦解，取而代之的是短暫存在的法蘭西共同體。