500 Francs CFA Euro Introduction

Benin issued this coin to mark the euro's physical introduction in January 2002 — a monetary event that had no direct bearing on Benin itself, which uses the West African CFA franc pegged to the euro through the French Treasury guarantee. The piece is a commemorative in the strictest sense: issued for collector export, not domestic circulation.

CFA franc states have long produced silver and gold issues through the Paris-based Monnaie de Paris and affiliated minting agents, targeting the European collector market almost exclusively.