Catalog
500 Francs CFA
| Issuer | Banque des États de l'Afrique Centrale (BEAC) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1985-1986 |
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| Currency | CFA franc (Bank of Central African States, 1973-date) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central field features the large denomination numeral '500' above the word 'FRANCS', flanked by floral and foliate decorative elements. The circular legend 'REPUBLIQUE POPULAIRE DU CONGO' runs along the upper periphery, with the date appearing in the lower exergue area. The overall design is framed within a slightly angular border consistent with the coin's shaped flan. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIQUE POPULAIRE DU CONGO 500 FRANCS 1985 (Translation: People's Republic of Congo) |
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| Additional information |
The BEAC's 500 francs CFA coinage of this period reflects the currency zone's structural dependence on the French Treasury, which guaranteed convertibility of the CFA franc at a fixed parity — a arrangement formalized after independence that critics increasingly characterized as a monetary leash rather than a safety net. The franc zone peg held through the 1980s despite severe commodity price shocks hammering the oil and timber economies of member states, including Cameroon, Gabon, and the Central African Republic.
A major devaluation came eventually in January 1994, cutting the CFA franc's value against the French franc by half — the first adjustment in 46 years.