Catalog
25 Francs - Mwambutsa IV Independence
| Issuer | Burundi |
|---|---|
| Year | 1962 |
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| Currency | Franc (1962-date) |
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| Obverse description | Left-facing uniformed bust of Mwami Mwambutsa IV, king of Burundi, depicted wearing a peaked military cap with decorative braid and an epauletted uniform jacket. The effigy occupies the central field and is rendered in high relief with fine detail. The surrounding legend reads MWAMBUTSA IV MWAMI DU BURUNDI, separated by small five-pointed stars, all enclosed within a fine beaded border. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
Burundi gained independence from Belgian-administered UN trusteeship on July 1, 1962, and this gold issue was struck to mark that transition — one of the first coins produced for the newly sovereign kingdom under Mwambutsa IV, who had ruled as mwami since 1915. The Belgian National Bank had managed Burundi's monetary affairs through the Rwanda-Burundi franc system, and establishing a distinct coinage was among the first acts of financial separation from that arrangement.
The .900 fineness matches the traditional European treaty gold standard, a deliberate choice for international credibility in a new state still dependent on foreign institutional relationships.