Catalog
1 Franc CFA
| Issuer | Banque Centrale des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (BCEAO) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1976-2011 |
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| Composition | Steel |
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| Obverse description | Central field features the stylized emblem of the Banque Centrale des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest, depicting a traditional West African mask with elongated face and geometric decorative elements, flanked by curved scroll motifs and triangular wing-like forms in relief. The design conveys a modernist interpretation of African artistic tradition. The engraver's initials 'JPR' appear in the left field below the mask. The surrounding legend reads 'BANQUE CENTRALE DES ETATS DE L'AFRIQUE DE L'OUEST', disposed along the upper and lower rim. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The CFA franc itself was created by decree on December 26, 1945, when France set its value against the newly established Bretton Woods system — CFA originally standing for "Colonies Françaises d'Afrique." After independence swept through West Africa in 1960, the acronym was quietly reinterpreted as "Communauté Financière Africaine," the currency and its peg to the French franc remaining otherwise unchanged. That peg held until 1994, when a single overnight devaluation of 50% — negotiated in Dakar without public announcement — cut purchasing power across eight nations simultaneously.
The steel composition adopted for this denomination reflects the coin's near-negligible transactional value even at issue.