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1500 Francs CFA Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria
| Issuer | Ivory Coast |
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| Year | 2006 |
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| Composition | Gold (.999) |
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| Obverse description | Central field features the national coat of arms of Côte d'Ivoire, depicting an elephant head within a circular cartouche flanked by two palm trees, with a rising sun above. The circular legend reads REPUBLIQUE DE COTE D'IVOIRE along the upper periphery. The denomination 1500 FRANCS CFA is inscribed in bold numerals across the lower field. |
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| Reverse lettering | **PHARE DE ALEXANDRIE** MERVEILLES DU MONDE DE L`ANTIQUITÈ 2006 (Translation: Pharos [Lighthouse] of Alexandria Wonders of the Ancient World) |
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| Additional information |
The Ivory Coast's early 2000s gold miniature series exploited a legal loophole common among West African CFA franc states: member nations of the CFA zone retain the right to issue commemorative coinage independently, even though monetary policy itself is controlled by the BCEAO. This allowed Abidjan to authorize a run of tiny gold pieces marketed almost exclusively to European collectors, with negligible domestic circulation or relevance.
The Pharos of Alexandria was demolished by successive earthquakes between the 10th and 14th centuries. By 1480, its stones had been quarried by the Mamluk sultan Qaitbay to build the fort that still stands on the same promontory.