Catalog
1000 Francs CFA Smilodon
| Issuer | Burkina Faso |
|---|---|
| Year | 2013 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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| Obverse description | The national coat of arms of Burkina Faso occupies the central field, featuring a shield charged with a five-pointed star, flanked by two rampant stallions as supporters, and surmounted by crossed spears behind a scroll inscribed BURKINA FASO. Below the shield, an open book rests on a ribbon divided into three sections bearing the national motto. The circular legend REPUBLIQUE DU BURKINA FASO arcs around the upper periphery in bold raised letters, while the denomination 1000 FRANCS CFA is prominently displayed along the lower border. |
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| Reverse description | A highly detailed, ultra-high-relief frontal portrait of a Smilodon (sabre-toothed cat) fills the entire field, rendered with exceptional naturalistic precision showing individual fur striations, prominent whiskers, and a broad muzzle. The animal's two elongated sabre-teeth are depicted in sharp relief projecting downward from the upper jaw. The eyes are inset with realistic glass or resin inserts producing a striking three-dimensional Real Eye Effect. The inscription SMILODON 2013 appears vertically along the left inner border, with the silver content designation 1 OZ AG below it. |
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| Additional information |
Burkina Faso has no historical or cultural connection to Smilodon — the genus inhabited the Americas and went extinct roughly 10,000 years ago, nowhere near West Africa. This is a bullion-adjacent collector issue produced under license, a category Burkina Faso has leaned on heavily since the early 2000s to generate seigniorage revenue through foreign coin marketing firms, primarily targeting European and North American collectors rather than domestic circulation.