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5 Francs Spoon
| Issuer | Democratic Republic of the Congo (1997-date) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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| Obverse description | The coin takes the form of a spoon, with the bowl portion bearing the country name, a lion motif, and the date in relief, while the handle carries the denomination. The surrounding circular base features a compass rose design with eight directional points rendered in the field. The legends 'LUCIS' and 'LUX' appear within the compass rose, framing the central spoon element. The overall piece is struck in iron with an antique finish, giving it a distinctive aged appearance consistent with novelty numismatic issues. |
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| Obverse lettering | DEM REP CONGO 2004 5 FRANCS LUCIS LUX |
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| Additional information |
The "Spoon Money" issues from the Democratic Republic of the Congo occupy a peculiar corner of modern numismatics. The iron composition deliberately echoes the hoe and spoon-shaped currency objects — known as katanga crosses and various blade currencies — that circulated across central Africa as trade money well into the colonial period. This piece is less a coin than a self-conscious reference to that tradition, issued for the collector market rather than any meaningful domestic circulation.
KM#128 is one of several such novelty pieces the DRC authorized in the early 2000s, a period when the government was extracting hard currency through collector sales while the country's actual monetary system remained heavily dollarized following years of catastrophic hyperinflation under Mobutu.