Before a final design for a coin is adopted or before the minting of circulation coins begins, the mint produces certain trial (test) coins in very small quantities.
Such trial coins are called pattern coins or trials (essai, trial strike, etc.) in numismatics and are most commonly produced for various purposes such as:
Material testing (metal alloys): Test forgings can be used to test various metal alloys to determine their suitability for forging and circulation.
Design Evaluation: Trial strikes allow the mint or the commission responsible for coin production to evaluate the aesthetics and practicality of the coin's design, including relief, details, and overall appearance.
Mold testing: Trial forgings help assess the quality of the mold and identify any potential errors or defects before mass production.
Experimentation in the forging process: Trial forgings can be used to experiment with different striking forces or die temperatures to see how these factors affect the final forging.
Educational or promotional use: Sometimes trial strikes are created for educational purposes, to illustrate the coining process, or for promotional purposes to generate public interest in a new coin design.
Trial strikes are generally not intended for circulation and are often kept within the mint. However, some find their way onto the numismatic market, where they are highly valued for their rarity and unique insight into the coin-making process.
Trial strikes very often bear special markings in order to distinguish these coins from regular coins minted for circulation.
One of the most famous coin patterns in our region are the coin patterns of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes from 1925. These patterns were minted at the Poissy mint in France and bear the mark „ESSAI“.
Both coins are identical to the regular 1 and 2 dinar issues of 1925. They are struck in a 75% copper–25% nickel alloy, have a reeded edge, and feature a Latin orientation (↑↓).
The difference, of course, is in mass and diameter. The 1-dinar coins have a mass of 5 g and a diameter of 23 mm, while the 2-dinar coins have a mass of 10 g and a diameter of 27 mm.
On the obverse of these coins is a bust of King Alexander I Karađorđević, facing left. Around the bust is a circular inscription: ALEXANDER I. KING OF THE SERBS, CROATS AND SLOVENES. Below the bust is the engraver's mark: A. PATEY (Henri-Auguste Patey). Along the rim of the coin are dots.
On the reverse of the coin, in the central part, is the denomination mark: 1 / ДИНАР or 2 / ДИНАРА, and below that is the year 1925. Above the denomination mark is the royal crown. All of this is placed within a wreath of laurel and oak branches, which is tied with a ribbon. To the left of the ribbon is the Poissy mint mark: a lightning bolt, and to the right is the inscription ESSAI. There are also specimens where this inscription ESSAI is next to the crown, on the right. Along the edge of the coin are dots, with the note that they often merge into the edge of the coin and are therefore not very noticeable.
Author: Zlatko Viščević
Photos: Numex – Coins, Banknotes & Militaria Store [www.numex.hr]
