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500 Francs CFA Alexandria Blue Boy
| Issuer | Cameroon (1960-date) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2025 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 17.5 g |
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents a faithful coloured reproduction of the circular 5-cent Postmaster's Provisional stamp issued in 1847 in Alexandria, Virginia, known as the Alexandria Blue Boy — one of the rarest and most celebrated philatelic items in American history. The stamp design is depicted in its characteristic blue tones, enclosed within a circular frame that replicates the original hand-struck format. The legend ALEXANDRIA POST OFFICE arches around the perimeter, with PAID 5 prominently displayed in the centre field. The inscription Alexandria Blue Boy 1847 appears below, identifying the stamp and commemorating its historical origin. |
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| Reverse lettering | ALEXANDRIA POST OFFICE PAID 5 Alexandria Blue Boy 1847 |
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| Additional information |
The "Alexandria Blue Boy" is a Roman-era encaustic mummy portrait, excavated in Egypt and now held in the Getty Museum — one of the most recognizable examples of Fayum portrait painting, dated to roughly the 2nd century AD. Cameroon has no historical connection to Roman Egypt or the Hellenistic Mediterranean world, and the coin exists purely as a bullion-adjacent collectible targeting the European art-themed numismatic market, a space increasingly dominated by Pacific and African nominal issuers acting as vehicles for mint programs designed elsewhere.
CFA franc issues of this type originate with private minting contracts, in this case almost certainly executed by a European mint operating under Cameroonian monetary authority licensing.