Catalog
500 Francs CFA Spanish Galleon, Piedfort Essai
| Issuer | Republic of the Congo |
|---|---|
| Year | 1991 |
| Type | Coin pattern |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIQUE POPULAIRE DU CONGO 500 FRANCS (Translation: People`s Republic of Congo) |
| Reverse description | Central field presents a highly detailed engraving of a Spanish galleon under full sail, depicted in three-quarter view with multiple masts, rigging, crow's nests, and furled sails rendered with fine line work. The vessel is shown riding stylized ocean waves occupying the lower portion of the field. The legend NAVIRE ANCIEN curves along the upper right field in raised Latin lettering, and the date 1991 appears in the exergue below the ship. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Piedfort essais from Francophone African states in the early 1990s occupy a peculiar corner of numismatics — struck in limited numbers ostensibly as pattern or trial pieces, many were produced primarily for the collector market rather than any genuine monetary testing purpose. The Republic of the Congo issued this type during a politically turbulent stretch: the country was transitioning away from Marxist single-party rule in 1991, holding its first multiparty conference that very year.
The Spanish galleon subject has no particular connection to Congolese history, which tells you exactly what this piece was.