The Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle was the first purpose-built jet airliner produced in France, entering commercial service with Air France and SAS in 1959. Togo's inclusion of it in a commemorative series reflects a broader wave of francophone African states issuing collector silver in the early 2000s through the BCEAO framework — pieces struck largely for the European numismatic market rather than domestic circulation.
The Caravelle is notable for a design detail Boeing later licensed: its rear-mounted engine configuration influenced the 727.
The Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle was the first purpose-built jet airliner produced in France, entering commercial service with Air France and SAS in 1959. Togo's inclusion of it in a commemorative series reflects a broader wave of francophone African states issuing collector silver in the early 2000s through the BCEAO framework — pieces struck largely for the European numismatic market rather than domestic circulation.
The Caravelle is notable for a design detail Boeing later licensed: its rear-mounted engine configuration influenced the 727.