1000 Francs CFA MD-11

The Republic of the Congo's early 2000s commemorative program was largely driven by foreign minting contractors producing collector issues with minimal domestic distribution — coins struck less for Congolese circulation than for the international numismatic market. KM#117 falls squarely into that category.

The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 it commemorates was already in decline by 2003; most major carriers had retired or were retiring the type following the 1992 China Airlines crash at Nagoya and a string of high-profile accidents that damaged operator confidence in the aircraft's handling characteristics.