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5 Francs Belgium - Queen Paola
| Issuer | Banque Centrale du Congo |
|---|---|
| Year | 1999 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | The obverse features a detailed effigy of a roaring lion's head facing left, rendered in high relief at the center of a recessed inner circle. Encircling the lion within a raised middle band is the legend REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO. The broad outer border carries the inscription BANQUE CENTRALE at the top and 5 FRANCS at the bottom, flanked by four five-pointed stars at the cardinal positions. The split date 19 - 99 appears in the lower left and lower right of the outer border respectively. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
This piece was issued by the Banque Centrale du Congo during one of the most chaotic periods in the country's modern history — the Second Congo War had begun in August 1998, eventually drawing in nine African nations and leaving millions dead. That a functioning central bank was producing commemorative-grade coinage at this moment says something about the disconnect between official monetary institutions and the economic reality on the ground, where hard currency of any kind was largely absent from daily commerce.
Queen Paola of Belgium's appearance on a Congolese franc issue reflects the collector-market licensing arrangements that characterized many Central African monetary authorities in the 1990s, not any political relationship with the Belgian crown.