ALGERIA - ALGÉRIE France libre (1940-June 1943) then Comité français de Libération nationale (June 1943-June 1944). 1 franc proof on large aluminium blank, by Jean Graziani 1943, Algiers (Atelier industriel de l'Air?). FRENCH REPUBLIC. Laureate head to left of the Republic, behind signature MORLON. Rv. LIBERTE - EGALITE / FRATERNITE. Between two horns of plenty: 1 FRANC (different) (date) (different). Lec.42a = this copy - Lecompte, BN CGB 90 pp.20-21 n° 1 - Théret, BN CGB 184 pp.30-34 ; Aluminium - 5,78 g - 36,7 mm - 7 h From the Carl F. Chirico collection, Bowers and Merena sale, 28 February to 1 March 2008, no. 5258. This is the coin that illustrates Jean Lecompte's Monnaies coloniales, 2007, p.65. On a large die-cut aluminium blank. The obverse is centred and cleanly struck, with traces of the scroll. The reverse has a slightly off-centre strike, more pronounced at the bottom than at the top, with a weakness. A fine scratch on the right-hand side at 7 o'clock appears to be a manufacturing defect in the aluminium foil (found on Lec.42b, see photo). Minor bumps on the listels and in the fields, and minor corrosion on the reverse. Possibly 2 known examples! Superb condition. After the Anglo-American landings in November 1942, Algiers became the capital of Free France. As resources were often in short supply, temporary solutions were adopted, such as the minting of a 1 franc coin in aluminium or zinc, according to a draft of May 1943 and an order of 26 August 1943. The engraver Jean Graziani engraved a die, a rather severe copy of Morlon, from which he produced nine pairs of coins. The blanks were manufactured at the Atelier Industriel de l'Air at Maison Blanche near Algiers. Once the tests had been completed, the blanks were minted at the Carnaud plant in Algiers for around 17,000 copies. According to Jean Lecompte, who has seen a handwritten document at the Banque centrale d'Algérie, these tests on wide blanks were carried out on sheets of aluminium from pans supplied by Jean Graziani himself (aluminium being a strategic metal at the time).