| 裏面の説明 |
The reverse is a polychrome colored design commemorating the XVI FIFA World Cup hosted by France in 1998. A stylized football rendered in black and grey enamel dominates the upper central field against a vivid blue enameled background accented with four-pointed star motifs. A diagonal band in brown and white crosses the field, evoking the tricolore. In the lower left, a detailed relief of the Eiffel Tower is depicted, while the lower right features a goal net in relief. The inscription FRANCE 1998 XVI COUPE MONDIALE 1997 is arranged in four lines across the lower central field. |
The BCEAO issued a wave of themed silver pieces through the 1990s aimed squarely at the collector market — coins that never circulated in the franc zone and were distributed almost entirely through European dealers and Franklin Mint-style programs. This soccer piece arrived ahead of the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, a tournament with obvious regional significance given France's relationship with its former West African territories.
Production was handled outside the issuing region entirely, almost certainly at a European contract mint.