The BEAC issues currency across six member states of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community — Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon — all sharing a single currency pegged to the euro at a fixed rate inherited from the old French franc arrangement formalized in 1945. The 500-franc denomination has long been a workhorse in the region, where banking infrastructure remains sparse and cash transactions dominate even commercial exchange.
The shift to nickel-plated steel for this denomination reflects persistent pressure to cut production costs as metal prices climbed through the 2010s.
The BEAC issues currency across six member states of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community — Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon — all sharing a single currency pegged to the euro at a fixed rate inherited from the old French franc arrangement formalized in 1945. The 500-franc denomination has long been a workhorse in the region, where banking infrastructure remains sparse and cash transactions dominate even commercial exchange.
The shift to nickel-plated steel for this denomination reflects persistent pressure to cut production costs as metal prices climbed through the 2010s.