Catalog
5 Francs The Netherlands - Prince Hendrik
| Issuer | Banque Centrale du Congo Démocratique |
|---|---|
| Year | 1999 |
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| Weight | 24.3 g |
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| Obverse description | Central motif features a finely detailed roaring lion's head in high relief, facing left, set within a recessed inner circle. Surrounding the lion, the legend REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO arcs along the inner border. The broad outer rim bears the legend BANQUE CENTRALE along the upper arc and 5 FRANCS along the lower arc, all in bold raised lettering. The date is divided as 19 and 99 flanking the left and right sides of the rim respectively, separated by decorative five-pointed stars at the cardinal points. |
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| Reverse description | Central field displays a full-color applied portrait of Prince Hendrik of the Netherlands, depicted in three-quarter facing bust wearing a dark military-style uniform with gilt epaulettes. To the right of the effigy appears a polychrome rendition of the Dutch royal coat of arms, surmounted by a crown. Below the portrait, the legend HENDRIK *1876 †1934 is inscribed, with the series title LE PRINCE DES PAYS-BAS arcing above within the inner circle. The broad outer rim carries the series legend MAISONS ROYALES D'EUROPE DES SIECLES DERNIERS in raised lettering. |
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A Congolese commemorative struck under the short-lived Banque Centrale du Congo Démocratique — the country had reverted to its colonial-era name "Congo Démocratique" only two years earlier, following Laurent-Désiré Kabila's overthrow of Mobutu in 1997. These issues from the late 1990s were part of a broad series of foreign-themed commemoratives produced almost entirely for the collector market, with negligible domestic circulation. Prince Hendrik of the Netherlands, consort to Queen Wilhelmina, died in 1934 — his appearance here has no discernible connection to Congolese history.