500 Francs Bear

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has issued large-format gold pieces under licensing arrangements that effectively outsource the numismatic program to European minting and distribution firms — the coins are legal tender in name, but the issuing state sees little of the commercial value. This 155.5g format places it among the heaviest standard bullion issues in current production, comparable to the Austrian 100 Euro gold coin series rather than sovereign bullion programs like Krugerrands or Maples.

KM#376 is one of several wildlife-themed issues in this series targeting the European collector-bullion market, where DRC licensing has been used consistently since the early 2000s.