1000 Francs Arsène Lupin

Arsène Lupin is a French fictional character created by Maurice Leblanc, first appearing in a 1905 short story published in the magazine Je sais tout. The gentleman-burglar became one of the most enduring figures in French popular literature, rivaling Sherlock Holmes in European readership through much of the twentieth century. The BEAC's decision to license him for a commemorative issue is a commercial one — the bank has become a prolific issuer of high-premium collector coins with no meaningful connection to Central Africa.

The crystal insert is a feature increasingly common to this segment of the numismatic market since roughly 2015, borrowed from the decorative arts trade rather than any minting tradition.