100 Francs CFA Kookaburra; facing

The Kookaburra is native to Australia — it has no geographic, historical, or economic connection to the West African franc zone. This piece is a bullion-program coin struck for the international collector market, using the BCEAO's minting authority as a vehicle rather than any expression of regional monetary policy. The arrangement is not unique to this issuer; several West African and Pacific franc-zone authorities have licensed their names to similar programs over the past decade, with production typically contracted to private mints in Europe.