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Message:: [QUOTE="Clinker, post: 1218426, member: 6229"]Once, again, I got to pondering about coins. Were there any coins minted by a nation that no longer exists of where a complete type collection can be had that numbers 10 or less.　I searched through Krause's Catalog of World Coins and discovered the French overseas territory of Oceania (a.k.a. French Oceania). Later named French Polynesia.　Exactly where is French Oceania (Polynesia) on the map (Wikipedia photo)?　<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:French_Polynesia_on_the_globe_(Polynesia_centered).svg" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:French_Polynesia_on_the_globe_(Polynesia_centered).svg" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:French_Polynesia_on_the_globe_(Polynesia_centered).svg</a>　French Oceania (Polynesia) was a constituent country of the French Republic. It comprised 130 basalt and coral islands scattered among five archipelagoes, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory (<a href="http://www.cointalk.com/wiki/Papeete" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.cointalk.com/wiki/Papeete">Papeete</a>). 　　The Krause catalog denotes and features 4 coins. All were struck by the Paris Mint. Three of them are dated 1949 and one bears the date 1952.　1. 1949 50 Centimes (100 Centimes = 1 Franc)2. 1949 Franc3. 1949 2 Francs4. 1952 5 Francs　All four are made of aluminum and feature a seated Liberty, a torch in her right hand and a cornucopia with date below. Their reverse designs feature a legend overlaying an island scene which divides rhe denomination. Images courtesy of World Coin Gallery:　1949 50 Centimes:　<a href="http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine.php?image=img10/144-o1&desc=FrenchOceaniakm150Centimes(1949)&query=Oceaniakm1" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine.php?image=img10/144-o1&desc=FrenchOceaniakm150Centimes(1949)&query=Oceaniakm1" rel="nofollow">http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine.php?image=img10/144-o1&desc=FrenchOceaniakm150Centimes(1949)&query=Oceaniakm1</a>　1949 Franc:　<a href="http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine.php?image=img1/144-o2&desc=FrenchOceaniakm21Franc(1949)&query=Oceaniakm2" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine.php?image=img1/144-o2&desc=FrenchOceaniakm21Franc(1949)&query=Oceaniakm2" rel="nofollow">http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine.php?image=img1/144-o2&desc=FrenchOceaniakm21Franc(1949)&query=Oceaniakm2</a>　1949 Two Francs:　<a href="http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine.php?image=img1/144-o3&desc=FrenchOceaniakm32Francs(1949)&query=Oceaniakm3" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine.php?image=img1/144-o3&desc=FrenchOceaniakm32Francs(1949)&query=Oceaniakm3" rel="nofollow">http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine.php?image=img1/144-o3&desc=FrenchOceaniakm32Francs(1949)&query=Oceaniakm3</a>　1952 Five Francs:　<a href="http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine.php?image=img1/144-o4&desc=FrenchOceaniakm45Francs(1952)&query=Oceaniakm4" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine.php?image=img1/144-o4&desc=FrenchOceaniakm45Francs(1952)&query=Oceaniakm4" rel="nofollow">http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine.php?image=img1/144-o4&desc=FrenchOceaniakm45Francs(1952)&query=Oceaniakm4</a>　Four coins to make a complete type set of French Polynesia coinage. Wrong!　There were three other coins needed to have the entire type set making a total of seven coins. You see, France minted three Essai coins in 1948 for French Polynesia. Here they are:　1948 50 Centimes:　<a href="http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine_vs.php?image=nmc4/144-E1&desc=FrenchOceaniakmE150Centimes(1948)&query=OceaniakmE1" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine_vs.php?image=nmc4/144-E1&desc=FrenchOceaniakmE150Centimes(1948)&query=OceaniakmE1" rel="nofollow">http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine_vs.php?image=nmc4/144-E1&desc=FrenchOceaniakmE150Centimes(1948)&query=OceaniakmE1</a>　1948 Franc:　<a href="http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine_vs.php?image=nmc4/144-E3&desc=FrenchOceaniakmE31Franc(1948)&query=OceaniakmE3" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine_vs.php?image=nmc4/144-E3&desc=FrenchOceaniakmE31Franc(1948)&query=OceaniakmE3" rel="nofollow">http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine_vs.php?image=nmc4/144-E3&desc=FrenchOceaniakmE31Franc(1948)&query=OceaniakmE3</a>　1948 Two Francs:　<a href="http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine_vs.php?image=nmc4/144-E5&desc=FrenchOceaniakmE52Francs(1948)&query=OceaniakmE5" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine_vs.php?image=nmc4/144-E5&desc=FrenchOceaniakmE52Francs(1948)&query=OceaniakmE5" rel="nofollow">http://worldcoingallery.com/countries/coine_vs.php?image=nmc4/144-E5&desc=FrenchOceaniakmE52Francs(1948)&query=OceaniakmE5</a>　That's all that's needed to have a complete type set, but what about a complete set?　More pondering. What am I pondering? It comes down to those three Essai coins.　You see there were two varieties of each 1948 Essai coin. The Paris Mint struck 1,100 of each variety.　1. 50 Centimes (incuse design)2. 50 Centimes (raised design)3. Franc (incused design)4. Franc (raised design)5. Two Francs (incused design) Copper-Nickel6. Two Farancs (raised design) Copper-Nickel　That's right, it takes 13 coins for a complete set. Wrong!　Looking at the List of Essais produced, I noticed four more coins. Three are dated 1949 (2000 50 Centavos, One Franc and 2 Francs coins of each denomination were struck in Copper-Nickel). Alumimum 1952 Five Francs reached a mintage of 1,200. Now we've uncovered them all! Wrong again!　The Paris Mint saw fit to produce 104 Pieforts (double thick) Essais of each denomination. Three dated 1949 include the 50 centimes, One Franc and the Two Francs. The fourth Piefort Essai is a 1952 Five Francs piece.　A complete set including the 1948 Essais, the '49 business strikes, the '49 Essais and '49 Piefort Essais equals 21 coins.　Did you know?　Clinker[/QUOTE]

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