1000 Francs CFA Calais-Mediterranean Express

The Calais-Mediterranean Express — better known as the Côte d'Azur Rapide — ran between Calais and the French Riviera from 1929, connecting cross-Channel passengers to Nice and beyond without a Paris change. The route carried considerable prestige in prewar European rail culture. Ivory Coast issued this piece under the BCEAO framework, which permits member states of the West African Economic and Monetary Union to authorize commemorative programs despite having no independent monetary policy over the CFA franc itself.