1000 Francs 2000 Summer Olympics

Benin's commemorative program in the late 1990s was largely driven by licensing arrangements with European minting houses — primarily the Monnaie de Paris and several private mints — that designed, produced, and distributed these issues with minimal direct involvement from Cotonou. The 2000 Sydney Olympics generated a wave of licensed coinage across francophone Africa, with Benin among the most prolific issuers, releasing multiple denominations that never circulated domestically and were aimed squarely at the collector export market.

The .999 fineness at 15.55 g places this squarely in the half-troy-ounce category favored by that market segment.