1000 Francs CFA Passat

The "Passat" in this coin's name refers to the trade winds — the Portuguese passat — that drove Atlantic sailing routes for centuries, the same winds that made Togo's coastline a landing point for Portuguese traders in the late 15th century and later a corridor for the transatlantic slave trade. Togo's CFA franc issues of this period were largely produced for the collector market through European minting intermediaries, with minimal domestic circulation.