Lucien Georges Bazor
Encyclopedia
Lucien Georges Bazor was Chief Engraver at the Paris mint from 1930 to 1958. He was born in Paris in 1889 and initially studied under his father, Albert Bazor. Bazor later became the pupil of Patey at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts
. He won the Grand Prix de Rome
in 1923 for his engraving.
Bazor is best known for his design of the 5 franc piece 1933, known at the time as the "Bedoucette" (after the contemporary Minister of Finance), now known as "Bazor". This smallish copper-nickel coin was generally rejected by the French public as too far away from the previous, large silver pieces. It was quickly replaced by the much larger and twice as heavy 5 francs Lavrillier. His 100 franc pieces 1929-1936 did not circulate, but were used as a convenient way to hoard gold. He also designed controversial pieces for Vichy France
: 1 franc 1942 and 1943-1944 and 2 francs 1943-1944 with the double-edged Francisca
and 5 francs with Marshal Philippe Pétain
. The latter did not circulate as most copies produced were lost due to Allied bombing
Bazor also designed French colonial coins for
Some of his designs continued to be used until well in the seventies, but after 1958, they were combined with the owl mark for his successor, Joly. In addition, Bazor made a large number of patterns
Lucien Bazor died in 1974. He was buried in Châtenay-Malabry (Hauts de Seine)
École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts
The École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-arts is the distinguished National School of Fine Arts in Paris, France.The École des Beaux-arts is made up of a vast complex of buildings located at 14 rue Bonaparte, between the quai Malaquais and the rue Bonaparte, in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Près,...
. He won the Grand Prix de Rome
Prix de Rome
The Prix de Rome was a scholarship for arts students, principally of painting, sculpture, and architecture. It was created, initially for painters and sculptors, in 1663 in France during the reign of Louis XIV. It was an annual bursary for promising artists having proved their talents by...
in 1923 for his engraving.
Bazor is best known for his design of the 5 franc piece 1933, known at the time as the "Bedoucette" (after the contemporary Minister of Finance), now known as "Bazor". This smallish copper-nickel coin was generally rejected by the French public as too far away from the previous, large silver pieces. It was quickly replaced by the much larger and twice as heavy 5 francs Lavrillier. His 100 franc pieces 1929-1936 did not circulate, but were used as a convenient way to hoard gold. He also designed controversial pieces for Vichy France
Vichy France
Vichy France, Vichy Regime, or Vichy Government, are common terms used to describe the government of France that collaborated with the Axis powers from July 1940 to August 1944. This government succeeded the Third Republic and preceded the Provisional Government of the French Republic...
: 1 franc 1942 and 1943-1944 and 2 francs 1943-1944 with the double-edged Francisca
Francisca
The francisca is a throwing axe used as a weapon during the Early Middle Ages by the Franks, among whom it was a characteristic national weapon at the time of the Merovingians from about 500 to 750 AD and is known to have been used during the reign of Charlemagne .Although generally associated...
and 5 francs with Marshal Philippe Pétain
Philippe Pétain
Henri Philippe Benoni Omer Joseph Pétain , generally known as Philippe Pétain or Marshal Pétain , was a French general who reached the distinction of Marshal of France, and was later Chief of State of Vichy France , from 1940 to 1944...
. The latter did not circulate as most copies produced were lost due to Allied bombing
Bazor also designed French colonial coins for
- CambodiaCambodiaCambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
: 10, 20 and 50 Cents 1953, 1959 - French Equatorial AfricaFrench Equatorial AfricaFrench Equatorial Africa or the AEF was the federation of French colonial possessions in Middle Africa, extending northwards from the Congo River to the Sahara Desert.-History:...
: 1, 2 francs 1948 - French OceaniaFrench PolynesiaFrench Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, 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...
: 50 centimes, 1, 2, 5 francs 1949, 1952 - French SomalilandFrench SomalilandFrench Somaliland was a French colony in the Horn of Africa. Established after the French signed various treaties between 1883 and 1887 with the then ruling Somali Sultans, the colony lasted from 1896 until 1946, when it became an overseas territory of France....
: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 francs 1948, 1949 - French West AfricaFrench West AfricaFrench West Africa was a federation of eight French colonial territories in Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan , French Guinea , Côte d'Ivoire , Upper Volta , Dahomey and Niger...
: 1, 2 francs 1948, 1955, 5, 10 francs 1956, 10, 25 francs 1957 - LaosLaosLaos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
: 10, 20 50 cents 1952 - MadagascarMadagascarThe Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
: 1, 2, 5 francs 1948, 1958, 10, 20 francs 1953 - New CaledoniaNew CaledoniaNew Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
: 50 centimes, 1, 2 francs 1949, 5 francs 1952 - RéunionRéunionRéunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
: 1, 2, 5 francs 1948, 10, 20 francs 1955 - Saint Pierre et Miquelon: 1, 2 francs 1948
- VietnamVietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
: 10, 20, 50 su 1953
Some of his designs continued to be used until well in the seventies, but after 1958, they were combined with the owl mark for his successor, Joly. In addition, Bazor made a large number of patterns
Pattern coin
A pattern coin is a coin which has not been approved for release, produced for the purpose of evaluating a proposed coin design. They are often off-metal strikes, to proof standard or piedforts...
Lucien Bazor died in 1974. He was buried in Châtenay-Malabry (Hauts de Seine)