500 Francs

Katanga's secession from the newly independent Congo was declared on 11 July 1960, just eleven days after Congolese independence. The need for a distinct currency was immediate and politically urgent — the Banque de la République de Katanga was established almost simultaneously, and Thomas De La Rue turned these notes around fast enough to support a functioning separatist administration within the same year.

The secession lasted until January 1963, when UN pressure and military intervention forced reintegration. Notes from this issuer had a working life of roughly two years before being demonetized — a short window that kept circulated survivors relatively scarce. The unlisted Pick status reflects how recently serious cataloguing of Katangese material has accelerated.