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1000 Francs CFA History
| Issuer | Republic of the Congo |
|---|---|
| Year | 1997 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1000 Francs CFA |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Within a rectangular field with a dark matte border, a classical allegorical female figure is depicted seated, rendered in high relief against a frosted background. The figure faces slightly left, draped in robes, and rests one arm upon a tablet or writing surface, evoking themes of learning and civilization. The legend REPUBLIQUE DU CONGO arcs along the upper border, while the date 19 97 is divided on either side of the central motif. The denomination 1000 FRANCS appears in the lower field. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Within a rectangular field with a dark matte border, a large Sphinx is depicted in high relief against a frosted background, rendered in a classicizing style evoking ancient Egyptian antiquity. The Sphinx is shown in profile facing left, with the characteristic recumbent leonine body and human head. The vertical inscription HISTOIRE appears along the right border of the field, referencing the coin's thematic dedication to history. |
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| Additional information |
The Central African CFA franc zone was under severe strain in 1997 — the Republic of the Congo descended into a brutal civil war that summer when Denis Sassou Nguesso's forces, backed by Angolan troops, drove President Pascal Lissouba from power. The country's mint authority had no domestic striking facility; issues like this were produced by foreign mints for the collector market, entirely detached from any circulating monetary system.
KM#59 is part of a wave of CFA-denominated silver issues from the late 1990s struck speculatively for the numismatic trade, with the issuing government collecting seigniorage revenue at a time when conventional foreign income had largely collapsed.