500 Francs

The Bank of Central African States — known by its French acronym BEAC — serves six member nations simultaneously: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and the Republic of the Congo. Coins issued under this authority circulate across all six, a monetary union whose roots trace directly to the CFA franc zone established by France in 1945. The arrangement has faced recurring political pressure, particularly from member states arguing that the required foreign exchange reserves held in Paris constitute a form of continued colonial dependence.