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2000 Francs Kapala
| Issuer | Cameroon (1960-date) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2018 |
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| Composition | Silver (.999) (with turquoise inlay) |
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| Obverse description | The coat of arms of Cameroon occupies the central field, featuring a shield with a star above crossed fasces and a balance scale, flanked by the bilingual national motto in the legend: PAIX / PEACE to the left and TRAVAIL / WORK at centre and PATRIE / FATHERLAND to the right. The denomination 2000 FRANCS CFA appears horizontally across the mid-field, flanked to either side of the arms. The legend REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN curves along the lower portion of the field, with the date 2018 and fineness mark Ag 999 inscribed below. The entire design is framed by an elaborate outer border of ornate Buddhist-inspired decorative motifs in high relief, incorporating stylised floral and geometric patterns, and a partial view of a kapala vessel flanked by two recumbent animals at the base. The series title WORLD CULTURES is inscribed along the outer decorative border. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The kapala is a ritual skull cup used in Vajrayana Buddhist and Hindu Tantric ceremonies, historically fashioned from the top of a human cranium. Cameroon's choice to issue this design has nothing to do with any domestic cultural tradition — the country has issued dozens of similarly exotic themed coins since the mid-2000s purely as collector targets, part of a wider Central African franc zone practice of licensing foreign mints to produce numismatic curiosities bearing African sovereign authority for international sale. Most never circulate and are never intended to.
The turquoise inlay is characteristic of production by the Czech mint Česká mincovna, which has supplied similar pieces across multiple African issuing authorities.