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500 Francs Lucas Cranach - The Unequal Couple
| Issuer | Cameroon › Cameroon (1960-date) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2017 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 17.5 g |
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| Obverse description | The national coat of arms of Cameroon occupies the central field, featuring a shield charged with a balance scale and surmounted by a five-pointed star, flanked by crossed fasces and supported by two crossed torches at the base. The bilingual national motto is inscribed in the upper field in both French and English: PAIX TRAVAIL PATRIE and PEACE WORK FATHERLAND. The legend REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN arcs along the left periphery, with the denomination 500 FRANCS CFA prominently displayed across the lower field. The date 2017 appears above the arms, and the fineness mark AG 999 is inscribed beneath the shield alongside the bilingual country name REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON / REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN. |
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| Obverse lettering | REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN PAIX TRAVAIL PATRIE PEACE WORK FATHERLAND 2017 REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN Ag 999 500 FRANCS CFA |
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| Additional information |
Lucas Cranach the Elder painted several versions of "The Unequal Couple" — old man, young woman, money changing hands — as pointed moral satire of mercenary marriage in Reformation-era Germany. Cranach was court painter to the Electors of Saxony and a close friend of Martin Luther, whose portrait he produced repeatedly. The paintings circulated as warnings; the coins reproducing them centuries later are a different transaction entirely.
Cameroon has issued prolifically under this numismatic program, licensing European fine art onto legal tender with no particular connection to Cameroonian history. The coins are collector issues in every meaningful sense, never intended for circulation.