10 Sengis 5 Years of J.D. Mobutu's Presidency, Brass Gilt Proof Issue

Issued to mark the fifth anniversary of Mobutu Sese Seko's seizure of power in November 1965, this proof struck in gilt brass sits at the intersection of numismatic vanity and authoritarian self-promotion. Mobutu had renamed nothing yet — the wholesale rebranding of the country, currency, and himself under the banner of authenticité came in 1971 — making this one of the last issues to bear the République Démocratique du Congo name before it became Zaïre.

The sengi denominations were largely phantom currency in daily life, with purchasing power so negligible that few ever circulated with intent.