Catalog
500 Francs CFA Lion
| Issuer | Republic of the Congo |
|---|---|
| Year | 1996 |
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| Currency | CFA franc (Bank of Central African States, 1973-date) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A highly detailed, colorized portrait of a male lion (Panthera leo) facing right is depicted at center, rendered with a full, polychrome mane in naturalistic tones of gold, orange, and brown against the mirrored proof field. The curved legend FÉLIDÉS Panthera leo arcs along the upper periphery, with the date 1996 positioned to the right. The colorization technique gives the design a vivid, enameled appearance distinctive of this commemorative series. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The Republic of the Congo — not to be confused with the larger Democratic Republic to its east — issued a series of wildlife-themed silver pieces through the 1990s largely for the collector and bullion export market, not domestic circulation. The country had neither the minting infrastructure nor the economic stability at the time to support a domestic commemorative program; these were effectively licensing arrangements with European minting houses producing coins bearing Congolese authority.
KM#42 is catalogued with limited auction frequency, suggesting modest production runs that never found strong secondary market traction.