Catalog
500 Francs CFA Monetary Union
| Issuer | Banque Centrale des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (BCEAO) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1972 |
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| Value | 500 Francs CFA |
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| Obverse description | Central design features the stylized emblem of the Banque Centrale des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest, depicting a highly abstracted African mask rendered in a modernist idiom, with geometric facial features and decorative striped motifs flanking the central figure. The commemorative dates '1 NOVEMBRE 1962' and '1 NOVEMBRE 1972' appear in the left field, marking the tenth anniversary of the bank's founding. A circular legend reading 'BANQUE CENTRALE DES ETATS DE L'AFRIQUE DE L'OUEST' runs along the upper periphery, while a border of incised triangular and chevron motifs frames the entire design. The engraver's initials 'RJ' for Raymond Joly appear at the base of the central device. |
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The BCEAO was established in 1962 as the central bank for the West African Monetary Union, itself a direct continuation of the franc des colonies françaises d'Afrique system France had maintained since 1945. This 1972 issue falls within the early period of the union's formal consolidation — Mauritania had just withdrawn in 1973, and Togo would join the reconstituted UEMOA years later. Silver commemorative issues from the BCEAO in this period were produced primarily for collector markets, not circulation, with actual day-to-day transactions conducted in the aluminum-bronze 500-franc pieces.