1000 Francs

The Banque du Royaume du Burundi was the central bank of a monarchy — Mwami Mwambutsa IV's kingdom — and this 1965 note was issued just one year before the July 1966 coup that deposed Crown Prince Charles Ndizeye and abolished the throne entirely, ending the institution that authorized the note's issue. Thomas De La Rue's involvement here is typical of the period; newly independent African states routinely contracted London security printers while building domestic financial infrastructure.

The 1000-franc denomination was the highest in the series, placing it in limited everyday circulation. Surviving examples in used grades are harder to find than the lower values from the same Royaume issues.