Catalog
500 Francos / Francs
| Issuer | Banque des États de l'Afrique Centrale |
|---|---|
| Year | 1985 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 150 × 75 mm |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | REPÚBLICA DE GUINEA ECUATORIAL RÉPUBLIQUE DE GUINÉE ÉQUATORIALE QUINIENTOS FRANCOS CINQ CENTS FRANCS EL GOBERNADOR LE GOUVERNEUR UN CENSOR UN CENSEUR (Translation: Republic of Equatorial Guinea / Five Hundred Francs / The Governor / The Censor) |
| Reverse description | Brown intaglio on multicolor guilloche underprint in warm orange and gold tones. The left portion carries a large vignette of a seated male artisan at work, surrounded by an array of traditional African carved masks and sculptural objects rendered in fine detail. A further group of carved artifacts appears at right. A Spanish-language legal warning against counterfeiting is enclosed in a ruled cartouche at lower center. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
The Banque des États de l'Afrique Centrale — the BEAC — issues a single note series circulating simultaneously across six countries: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. Each note carries a letter code identifying the issuing member state, which means the same Pick number can represent notes from entirely different countries, a deliberate structural feature that has complicated catalog attribution since the bank's reorganization in 1972.
Oberthur had supplied BEAC notes consistently through this period, with production handled at their Rennes facility. The 500 Franc denomination was among the most heavily circulated in the zone, and survivors in clean condition are notably harder to find than the higher values.