Catalog
1 Syli
| Issuer | Guinea |
|---|---|
| Year | 1971 |
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| Reference(s) | KM#43, Schön#42 |
| Obverse description | Front-facing effigy of Patrice Lumumba, Congolese independence leader, depicted in jacket and tie with spectacles, centered within a raised inner circle. The circular legend reads REPUBLIQUE DE GUINEE along the periphery, with the date 1971 flanked by two raised dots at the base of the design. |
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| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIQUE DE GUINEE ·1971· (Translation: Republic of Guinea) |
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| Additional information |
The syli replaced the Guinean franc in 1971 as part of Sékou Touré's broader program of economic and cultural de-colonization — the name itself drawn from the Malinke word for elephant. Guinea had severed ties with the French franc zone in 1960 after its abrupt break with France in 1958, the only territory to vote "Non" in de Gaulle's referendum, a decision that prompted France to withdraw all technical and financial assistance almost overnight. The syli system, divided into 100 cauris, was short-lived; chronic mismanagement eventually forced its abandonment in 1985.