Catalog
1000 Francs CFA Buffalo
| Issuer | Burkina Faso |
|---|---|
| Year | 2016 |
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| Currency | CFA franc (1960-date) |
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| Obverse description | The national coat of arms of Burkina Faso occupies the central field, depicting a shield bearing a five-pointed star flanked by two rearing horses as supporters, with two crossed spears and arrows behind the shield. A scroll below bears the national motto in three parts: 'Unité', 'Progrès', and 'Justice', with an open book at the base. The circular legend 'REPUBLIQUE DU BURKINA FASO' runs along the upper periphery, while the denomination '1000 FRANCS CFA' is inscribed in bold relief along the lower border. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A highly detailed, close-up portrait of an African Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) rendered in fine engraving fills the entire field, with the animal facing the viewer in a direct, imposing frontal aspect. The texture of the buffalo's hide, curved horns, and expressive eyes are rendered with exceptional naturalistic precision in high relief against a darkened antiqued background. The curved legend 'The African Big Five' arcs along the upper periphery. The inscription '1 Oz Ag .999' appears vertically along the left inner border, and the date '2016' is engraved along the lower field. |
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| Additional information |
Burkina Faso has no indigenous buffalo population to speak of — the African buffalo's range does not meaningfully extend into the country's semi-arid Sahel interior. The animal appears here as a pan-African wildlife motif adopted wholesale from the broader Central African bullion coin program, under which several CFA franc member states license their names to issues with little connection to local fauna, history, or monetary policy.