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10 Francs Diogo Cao 1482
| Issuer | Banque Centrale du Congo |
|---|---|
| Year | 2000 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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| Obverse description | A finely detailed standing lion facing left occupies the central field, rendered in high relief with a full mane and tail raised, standing on a grassy groundline. The legend REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO curves along the upper periphery in raised Latin lettering. The denomination 10 FRANCS is inscribed in two lines at the lower field beneath the lion. The mirrored proof field provides a strong contrast to the frosted devices. |
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| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO 10 FRANCS |
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| Additional information |
Diogo Cão was the Portuguese explorer who reached the mouth of the Congo River around 1482–1484, becoming the first European to make contact with the Kingdom of Kongo. His expedition planted a stone pillar — a padrão — at the river's mouth, a practice used by Portuguese navigators to claim discovery. The Democratic Republic of Congo issued this piece in 2000 under the Banque Centrale du Congo, a period when the country had only recently shed the name Zaire following Laurent-Désiré Kabila's seizure of power in 1997.
The padrão Cão erected near present-day Soyo still partially survives.