Benin's sporting commemoratives of the 1990s were produced under license arrangements typical of small Francophone African nations with no domestic mint — struck almost certainly by the Monnaie de Paris or a contracted European facility, then sold primarily into the collector market rather than circulated. The 1996 date ties this to the FIFA World Cup held in the United States, a tournament notable for being the highest-attended World Cup on record.
Benin itself has never qualified for a World Cup finals. The coin's existence is purely a revenue instrument.
Benin's sporting commemoratives of the 1990s were produced under license arrangements typical of small Francophone African nations with no domestic mint — struck almost certainly by the Monnaie de Paris or a contracted European facility, then sold primarily into the collector market rather than circulated. The 1996 date ties this to the FIFA World Cup held in the United States, a tournament notable for being the highest-attended World Cup on record.
Benin itself has never qualified for a World Cup finals. The coin's existence is purely a revenue instrument.