3000 Francs New York, iridium

The BEAC issues these high-denomination collector pieces through the Monnaie de Paris under licensing arrangements that have made the "New York" series a recurring vehicle for exotic plating materials. Iridium — the densest naturally occurring element and almost exclusively a byproduct of platinum group metal refining — was applied here as a novelty finish, not a monetary consideration. The 3000 CFA franc face value is notional; the combined economies of the six BEAC member states produce virtually no circulating commemorative demand at this price point.

Iridium plating at commercial scale only became viable in the early 2000s with advances in physical vapor deposition techniques.