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500 Francs CFA Colossus of Rhodes
| Issuer | Ivory Coast |
|---|---|
| Year | 2008 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIQUE DE COTE D'IVOIRE 500 FRANCS CFA (Translation: Republic of Ivory Coast) |
| Reverse description | A full-length depiction of the Colossus of Rhodes dominates the central field, rendered as a colossal male figure with a radiate crown, standing astride two stone plinths set amid stylized ocean waves, with mountainous landmasses visible in the background. The figure is shown in a frontal pose, bare-chested, with muscular anatomy rendered in fine relief. The date '2008' appears to the right of the figure in the mid-field. The legend 'COLOSSE DE RHODES' arcs along the upper border, flanked by six small star ornaments on each side, while 'MERVEILLES DU MONDE DE L'ANTIQUITÉ' curves along the lower border, all in raised Latin lettering against a darkened recessed field. |
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| Additional information |
The Ivory Coast has no historical connection to the Colossus of Rhodes — this is one of a long run of bullion-adjacent collector issues produced under licensing arrangements that allow small African states to generate foreign currency revenue by issuing coins never intended for domestic circulation. The pieces are struck by private minting contractors, typically in Europe, and sold directly into the collector market.
The Colossus itself stood at the entrance to Rhodes harbor for roughly 54 years before an earthquake toppled it around 226 BC. No ancient source confirms it straddled the harbor mouth — that detail is a Renaissance-era invention.