The Democratic Republic of the Congo relaunched its franc-based currency system in 1997 following Laurent-Désiré Kabila's overthrow of Mobutu Sese Seko, who had renamed the country Zaïre and its currency accordingly. These small aluminium centime pieces were introduced as the new monetary infrastructure was being rebuilt during an active civil conflict — the Second Congo War was still being fought across the country's east when this coin was struck in 2002.
Centime denominations saw virtually no practical circulation given the prevailing economic conditions. Most were effectively obsolete on arrival.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo relaunched its franc-based currency system in 1997 following Laurent-Désiré Kabila's overthrow of Mobutu Sese Seko, who had renamed the country Zaïre and its currency accordingly. These small aluminium centime pieces were introduced as the new monetary infrastructure was being rebuilt during an active civil conflict — the Second Congo War was still being fought across the country's east when this coin was struck in 2002.
Centime denominations saw virtually no practical circulation given the prevailing economic conditions. Most were effectively obsolete on arrival.