1000 Francs CFA Panther

The Republic of the Congo — not to be confused with the neighboring Democratic Republic — issued a series of wildlife-themed silver pieces in the 1990s during a period of severe economic instability following the collapse of Marxist governance and the chaotic multiparty transition after 1991. These coins were produced almost entirely for the collector export market, with negligible domestic circulation, effectively functioning as a foreign currency revenue stream during a decade when the country cycled through three constitutions.

Minted under the CFA franc zone, the nominal face value was largely symbolic against the coin's silver content.