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1000 Francs CFA Airship
| Issuer | Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2017 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents a richly detailed, partially colorized composition evoking the visionary world of Jules Verne. To the left, a photorealistic portrait of Jules Verne faces three-quarters right, rendered in sepia-toned relief against a lightly engraved globe in the background field. To the right, a color-applied steampunk airship is depicted in precise mechanical detail, featuring a segmented oval gas envelope suspended above a heavily armored naval vessel by an elaborate network of rigging lines and a central gondola with a rotating turret. The arc legend IDEAS OF JULES VERNE 2017 appears along the upper periphery in incuse lettering. |
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| Edge | Smooth |
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| Additional information |
The BCEAO issues collector pieces like this under a licensing arrangement common among smaller currency unions — the coins are legal tender within the eight-member franc zone but are struck exclusively for the numismatic export market, generating hard currency revenue rather than serving any domestic monetary function. At 500 grams of .990 titanium across 120mm, the production cost alone almost certainly exceeds the 1000 CFA face value, which is roughly €1.50.
Titanium at this scale presents genuine minting challenges: the metal work-hardens rapidly, accelerating die wear and making large-format strikes technically demanding. Few world mints attempt pieces of this size in the alloy.