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1000 Francs CFA Zouave. Half-length portrait
| Issuer | Gabon |
|---|---|
| Year | 2017 |
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| Currency | CFA franc (Bank of Central African States, 1973-date) |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A full-colour reproduction of Vincent van Gogh's 1888 painting 'The Zouave' occupies the majority of the reverse field, depicting a half-length portrait of a French colonial infantryman wearing a red fez and ornately decorated dark military jacket. Overlapping the coloured image in the lower right quadrant is an uncoloured relief portrait of Vincent van Gogh himself in profile, accompanied by the issue year 2017. The legend VAN GOGH arcs diagonally along the left side of the field, with the artist's life dates 1853–1890 inscribed below the coloured vignette. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The "Zouave" denomination in Gabonese collector issues takes its name from the French colonial infantry units originally recruited from Algerian Berber tribes in 1830, later becoming an almost entirely French-European force that fought across Crimea, Italy, and the American Civil War — where both Union and Confederate armies fielded Zouave-styled regiments in imitation. Gabon's connection is purely francophone heritage; the BEAC monetary framework governing CFA franc issues in Central Africa gave member states latitude for commemorative programs, and Gabon exploited this aggressively after 2010 with a string of silver-plated novelty pieces aimed squarely at the European collector market.
Silver-plated copper at this size and weight was a deliberate cost decision — face value of 1000 CFA francs equates to roughly €1.50.