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500 Francs CFA Pope Pius XII
| Issuer | Banque Centrale des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (BCEAO) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2014 |
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| Orientation | Medal alignment ↑↑ |
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| Obverse description | The national coat of arms of Benin occupies the central field, depicting a quartered shield supported by two leopards rampant, with a ship in the upper left quarter, a royal palace in the upper right, a palm tree in the lower left, and a decorative star motif in the lower right. The legend REPUBLIQUE DU BENIN arcs along the upper periphery in raised Latin characters, while the motto FRATERNITE JUSTICE TRAVAIL appears on a ribbon below the shield. The denomination 500 FRANCS CFA is inscribed in bold relief at the bottom of the field. |
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
The BCEAO issues commemorative silver pieces under the West African CFA franc system primarily as numismatic exports — they circulate nowhere and are minted for collector markets in Europe and North America. Pius XII died in 1958, and his papacy remains one of the most contested in modern Church history, particularly regarding his public silence during the Holocaust. That controversy has made him a recurring subject for commemorative issues aimed at Catholic collector demographics, where demand is reliably insulated from the historical debate.