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1500 Francs CFA Mausoleum of Halicarnassus
| Issuer | Republic of Ivory Coast |
|---|---|
| Year | 2010 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1500 Francs CFA |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The obverse features the national coat of arms of Côte d'Ivoire centrally positioned in the field, depicting an elephant head above a rising sun and palm tree motif on a shield. The circular legend REPUBLIQUE DE COTE D'IVOIRE arcs along the upper periphery, while the denomination 1500 FRANCS CFA is inscribed in the lower field. The design is rendered in a polished proof finish with a mirror-like field contrasting against the frosted devices. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
The Ivory Coast has no historical or geographical connection to the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, and these large-format commemoratives were produced explicitly for the collector market — never intended for circulation. The series exploited a legal quirk allowing the BCEAO's member states to authorize non-circulating legal tender issues independently, making them nominally valid while practically serving as bullion novelties sold through European distributors.
The original structure at Halicarnassus — completed around 350 BC and destroyed by successive earthquakes between the 12th and 15th centuries — gave English the word "mausoleum" directly from the name of the Carian satrap Mausolus it was built to honor.