1000 Francs CFA The Three Graces

The Bank of Central African States — the BEAC — serves six member nations across central Africa, none of which circulate silver coinage domestically. Issues like this one are struck entirely for the international numismatic market, a revenue mechanism the BEAC shares with dozens of similarly situated monetary authorities. The nominal face value has no practical meaning in Yaoundé or Bangui.

The Three Graces motif traces to the Charites of Greek antiquity and has been reproduced on coinage continuously since the Hellenistic period, making it one of the most recycled compositions in the entire history of minting.