Lucien Georges Bazor (1889–1974) 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 The Beaux-Arts de Paris is a French ''grande école'' whose primary mission is to provide high-level arts education and training. This is classical and historical School of Fine Arts in France. The art school, which is part of the Paris Science ...

. 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 Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its ter ...

: 1 franc 1942 and 1943–1944 and 2 francs 1943–1944 with the double-edged Francisque 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 *

Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...

: 10, 20 and 50 Cents 1953, 1959 * French Equatorial Africa: 1, 2 francs 1948 *

French Oceania )Territorial motto: ( en, "Great Tahiti of the Golden Haze") , anthem = , song_type = Regional anthem , song = " Ia Ora 'O Tahiti Nui" , image_map = French Polynesia on the globe (French Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of Frenc ...

: 50 centimes, 1, 2, 5 francs 1949, 1952 *

French Somaliland French Somaliland (french: Côte française des Somalis, lit= French Coast of the Somalis so, Xeebta Soomaaliyeed ee Faransiiska) was a French colony in the Horn of Africa. It existed between 1884 and 1967, at which time it became the French Ter ...

: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 francs 1948, 1949 *

French West Africa French West Africa (french: Afrique-Occidentale française, ) was a federation of eight French colonial territories in West Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guinea (now Guinea), Ivory Coast, Upper Volta (now Burki ...

: 1, 2 francs 1948, 1955, 5, 10 francs 1956, 10, 25 francs 1957 *

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...

: 10, 20, 50 cents 1952 *

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

: 1, 2, 5 francs 1948, 1958, 10, 20 francs 1953 *

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

: 50 centimes, 1, 2 francs 1949, 5 francs 1952 *

Réunion Réunion (; french: La Réunion, ; previously ''Île Bourbon''; rcf, label= Reunionese Creole, La Rényon) is an island in the Indian Ocean that is an overseas department and region of France. It is located approximately east of the island ...

: 1, 2, 5 francs 1948, 10, 20 francs 1955 * Saint Pierre et Miquelon: 1, 2 francs 1948 * Vietnam: 10, 20, 50 su 1953 Some of his designs continued to be used until well in the 1970s, but after 1958, they were combined with the owl mark for his successor, :fr:Raymond Joly, Raymond Joly. In addition, Bazor made a large number of pattern coin, patterns. Bazor's antelope design is still used on West African five franc coins to this day.Numista http://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces828.html Lucien Bazor died in 1974. He was buried in Châtenay-Malabry (Hauts de Seine). His grave is decorated with a portrait medal designed by Robert Cochet (1903–88).

References

Gallery of various medals

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bazor, Lucien Georges 1889 births 1974 deaths Engravers from Paris French currency designers Prix de Rome for engraving Order of the Francisque recipients 20th-century French engravers 20th-century French male artists 20th-century French printmakers Coin designers