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3000 Francs CFA Medusa
| Issuer | Gabon |
|---|---|
| Year | 2025 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents a dramatic, high-relief depiction of Medusa, the Gorgon of Greek mythology, shown as a young woman with a serene yet commanding frontal visage and a draped bust truncated at the lower field. Her head is crowned with an elaborate and deeply sculptured mass of living serpents that radiate outward in sinuous, interlocked coils to fill the entire field, their individually scaled bodies rendered with exceptional detail in an antique silver finish. Additional serpents entwine around her neck and shoulders, conveying both beauty and menace. The gold-colored outer rim provides a striking chromatic contrast to the silver-toned central design, further dramatizing the mythological subject. No inscriptions appear on the reverse, leaving the powerful figural composition to dominate the surface unimpeded. |
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
The Medusa series, produced for several Central African franc-zone issuers by the Polish Mint in recent years, targets the high-relief collector market rather than any domestic circulation need. Gabon's participation in CEMAC means its commemorative issues are authorized through the Banque des États de l'Afrique Centrale, though the coins are designed and struck entirely in Europe with no meaningful connection to Gabonese monetary history.
At 93.3 g, the planchet requires careful annealing to achieve the deep cameo relief the series is known for — the Polish Mint has refined this process across multiple Medusa iterations since the design first appeared.