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500 Francs CFA Pharos Lighthouse of Alexandria
| Issuer | Ivory Coast |
|---|---|
| Year | 2008 |
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| Reference(s) | KM#59 |
| Obverse description | Central field features the national coat of arms of Côte d'Ivoire, depicting an elephant head on a shield flanked by two palm trees, with a rising sun above and a ribbon bearing the national motto below. The circular legend REPUBLIQUE DE COTE D'IVOIRE arcs along the upper periphery, while the denomination 500 FRANCS CFA is inscribed in two lines along the lower periphery. The design is rendered in high relief against a mirror-polished proof field. |
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| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIQUE DE COTE D'IVOIRE 500 FRANCS CFA (Translation: Republic of Ivory Coast) |
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| Additional information |
The Ivory Coast issued a series of world-monument coins in the late 2000s with no domestic connection to the subjects — the Pharos of Alexandria was chosen purely as a recognized icon of the ancient world. The lighthouse, built under Ptolemy II Philadelphus around 280 BC on the island of Pharos, stood roughly 100 meters tall and survived in partial form until a series of earthquakes between the 10th and 14th centuries AD reduced it to rubble. Blocks were eventually recycled into the Citadel of Qaitbay in 1480.