Catalog
1000 Francs CFA Douglas DC-8
| Issuer | Republic of Benin |
|---|---|
| Year | 2003 |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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| Obverse description | The obverse displays the coat of arms of the Republic of Benin in high relief at center, featuring a quartered shield supported by two leopards rampant, surmounted by a bull's head above a scroll bearing the national motto. The legend REPUBLIQUE DU BENIN arcs along the upper periphery, while the motto FRATERNITE JUSTICE TRAVAIL appears on the ribbon below the shield. The denomination 1000 FRANCS CFA is inscribed in two lines at the bottom of the field. The design is struck against a deeply mirrored proof field with a polished black background enhancing the sculptural relief of the arms. |
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| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIQUE DU BENIN FRATERNITE JUSTICE TRAVAIL 1000 FRANCS CFA |
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| Additional information |
Benin has no air force to speak of and no historical connection to the Douglas DC-8 — this coin exists purely because the Republic of Benin became, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, one of the most prolific issuers of novelty collector coinage under arrangements with European trading houses, most notably the Pobjoy Mint and various Swiss and German intermediaries. The coins are legal tender in name only, struck for the international collector market with no expectation of domestic circulation.
The DC-8 itself entered commercial service with Delta and United in 1959, and remained in freighter use well into the 2000s.