1000 Francs Guinéens Pius XI

Guinea has issued a long-running series of small-format gold coins invoking papal imagery, largely targeting the European devotional collectibles market rather than any domestic monetary purpose. Pius XI, who reigned from 1922 to 1939, negotiated the Lateran Treaty of 1929 with Mussolini's government, resolving the sixty-year "Roman Question" and establishing Vatican City as a sovereign state — his single most consequential act and the obvious draw for collectors of Catholic historical material.

At 0.5 grams, actual gold content is minimal. These pieces trade almost entirely on their numismatic and thematic premium.