Catalog
5 Francs The Netherlands - Prince Claus
| Issuer | Banque Centrale du Congo |
|---|---|
| Year | 1999 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 24.3 g |
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| Reverse description | Within a raised inner circle, a multicolor printed portrait of Prince Claus of the Netherlands in three-quarter bust facing left, wearing formal attire. To the upper left of the portrait appears the legend LE PRINCE DES PAYS-BAS, and below the bust the name CLAUS *1926. A crowned Dutch royal coat of arms is depicted in color to the right of the portrait. The outer border bears the series inscription MAISONS ROYALES D'EUROPE DES SIECLES DERNIERS arranged around the full circumference. |
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
This is a Republic of Congo (Kinshasa) commemorative issue, part of a wave of foreign-subject pieces the Banque Centrale authorized through the late 1990s — a period when the country, freshly renamed from Zaire under Laurent-Désiré Kabila, was generating hard currency through novelty coin programs rather than stable monetary policy. Prince Claus of the Netherlands, a German-born former diplomat who married Queen Beatrix in 1966, had no direct connection to the Congo. His appearance here reflects the era's collector-market licensing arrangements, not any bilateral relationship.