Catalog
500 Francs
| Issuer | Banque Centrale des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest |
|---|---|
| Year | 1959-1961 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | BANQUE CENTRALE DES ETATS DE L'AFRIQUE DE L'OUEST 500 LES AUTEURS OU COMPLICES DE FALSIFICATION OU DE CONTREFAÇON DE BILLETS DE BANQUE SERONT PUNIS CONFORMÉMENT AUX LOIS ET ACTES EN VIGUEUR |
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| Protection type | Watermark |
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| Comments |
The BCEAO was established in 1959 as the successor monetary authority to the Institut d'Émission de l'Afrique Occidentale Française, and this note sits right at that hinge point — the April 1959 date predates formal independence for most member states, meaning early signature combinations were signed by French-appointed officials alongside the nascent regional structure. The sheer number of signature pairings across this type reflects the turbulent administrative turnover as newly independent governments rotated their representatives onto the board through the early 1960s.
Henri Konan Bédié, whose undated signature appears in the later combinations, went on to serve as President of Côte d'Ivoire from 1993 to 1999.