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500 Francs CFA Year of the Dragon
| Issuer | Benin (1975-date) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2012 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 15.42 g |
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| Obverse description | The national coat of arms of the Republic of Benin occupies the central field, depicting a shield flanked by two rampant panthers serving as supporters, with two crossed horns of plenty bearing ears of corn rising above the shield. The national motto 'FRATERNITE JUSTICE TRAVAIL' appears on a ribbon below the arms. The encircling legend reads 'REPUBLIQUE DU BENIN' along the upper periphery, with the denomination '500 FRANCS CFA' inscribed along the lower periphery. |
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
Benin's CFA franc issues of this type were produced under license for the collector market, struck by private mints in Europe and distributed through numismatic wholesalers — not through the Banque Centrale des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest, which manages actual circulating coinage for the BCEAO zone. The country lends its name and nominal issuing authority to pieces that will never see West African commerce.
The 2012 dragon year placement aligns this with the Chinese lunar calendar cycle, a deliberate targeting of Southeast Asian collector demand that drove a wave of similar issues from small francophone nations throughout the 2000s and early 2010s.