1000 Francs CFA Barn Swallow

The Republic of the Congo — not to be confused with the much larger Democratic Republic of the Congo to its east — issued a series of wildlife-themed silver pieces in the early 2000s through authorized minting arrangements typical of small Central African franc-zone states, where coin programs are often contracted to European mints and serve collector markets rather than domestic circulation. The barn swallow, Hirundo rustica, has the longest migratory range of any swallow species, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa and therefore a defensible choice for a Congolese issuer.