Catalog
50 Francs CFA RMS Titanic Sinking
| Issuer | Burkina Faso |
|---|---|
| Year | 2017 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 7.9 g |
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| Obverse description | The brass centre features the national coat of arms of Burkina Faso, depicting a shield charged with a central star, supported by two rearing horses flanking crossed spears, with an open book below and a banner inscribed 'BURKINA FASO' above. A ribbon at the base bears the national motto 'Unité Progrès Justice' in three segments. The copper-nickel outer ring carries the legend 'REPUBLIQUE DU BURKINA FASO' along the upper arc and the denomination '50 FRANCS CFA' along the lower arc, all in raised Latin lettering. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The brass centre presents a dramatic depiction of the RMS Titanic in its final moments of sinking, with the bow of the vessel pitching sharply downward into turbulent waves rendered in high relief. A small lifeboat is visible in the churning waters below the stricken ship, evoking the tragedy of the 1912 disaster. The four distinctive funnels of the liner are clearly delineated in the field. The copper-nickel outer ring bears the legend 'R.M.S. TITANIC' along the upper arc and the date '2017' along the lower right, all in raised Latin lettering. |
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| Additional information |
Burkina Faso has no historical connection to the Titanic whatsoever. This is a purely commercial issue produced for the collector market — Burkina Faso, like several other small African nations, licenses its minting authority to private European coin producers who sell themed novelty pieces under sovereign packaging. The CFA franc itself is issued collectively across the West African Economic and Monetary Union, making Burkina Faso's independent commemorative coinage a bureaucratic curiosity in its own right.
These pieces never circulate domestically and are sold directly to dealers and collectors, primarily in Europe.