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5 Zaïres
| Issuer | Banque du Zaïre |
|---|---|
| Year | 1987 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 1.95 mm |
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| Obverse description | The central field features the large denomination numeral '5' accompanied by a stylized 'Z' (the currency symbol for the Zaïre), both rendered in bold relief within an incuse circle. The legend 'BANQUE' arcs across the upper rim and 'DU ZAÏRE' along the lower rim, flanking the central device. The overall design is bold and graphic, with the denomination dominating the face of the coin. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse displays a facing bust of President Mobutu Sese Seko, depicted wearing his characteristic leopard-skin toque and spectacles, with a suit and tie visible at the truncation. The curved legend 'CINQ ZAIRES' arcs along the upper rim above the portrait. The four-digit date '1987' is inscribed in the exergue below the bust. |
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| Additional information |
By 1987, Mobutu Sese Seko's government had been printing money to cover deficits for over a decade, and the zaïre was in freefall against hard currencies. Brass coinage of this denomination was produced largely as a formality — inflation was advancing faster than the coins could retain purchasing power, and within a few years the currency would be redenominated, then abandoned entirely when the country itself was renamed in 1997.