25 Francs Independence

Niger's independence from France was declared on August 3, 1960, and this commemorative was among the first sovereign coinage issued by the new republic. The pieces were struck at the Paris Mint, as were virtually all Francophone West African commemoratives of this period — a geographic irony that went largely unremarked at the time.

Mintage was extremely low, produced primarily for diplomatic presentation and collector sale rather than circulation.