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1500 Francs CFA Hanging Gardens of Babylon
| Issuer | Ivory Coast |
|---|---|
| Year | 2010 |
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| Currency | CFA franc (1960-date) |
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| Obverse description | Central field bears the national coat of arms of Côte d'Ivoire, featuring an elephant head in the upper portion and a stylized palm tree with a rising sun in the lower portion, all within a circular design. The denomination '1500' appears prominently in the lower field, with 'FRANCS CFA' inscribed beneath it. The circular legend 'REPUBLIQUE DE COTE D'IVOIRE' runs along the upper periphery in raised Latin lettering. The overall design is struck in fine silver with a polished proof finish. |
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents a highly detailed, partly gilt representation of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The composition depicts terraced garden architecture with lush vegetation cascading over tiered stone balconies and colonnaded structures, rendered in rich gilt relief against a frosted silver background. Monumental stairways and classical pillars frame the elaborate garden scene in a dramatic, three-dimensional artistic style. The circular legend 'MERVEILLES DU MONDE DE L'ANTIQUITE' runs along the upper periphery between two asterisks, while 'JARDINS SUSPENDUS DE BABYLONE' is inscribed along the lower border. The date '2010' appears within the field. |
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| Additional information |
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon have never been archaeologically confirmed — no excavation at Babylon has produced convincing physical evidence, and some scholars, including Stephanie Dalley, have argued the gardens were actually located at Nineveh under Sennacherib. Ivory Coast issued this piece under licensing arrangements common to sub-Saharan francophone states, where the Banque Centrale des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest facilitates large-format commemorative programs with European minting houses targeting the collector market rather than domestic circulation. The coin never saw Ivorian commerce.