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500 Francs Mandrill
| Issuer | Cameroon (1960-date) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2020 |
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| Currency | CFA franc (Bank of Central African States, 1973-date) |
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| Obverse description | The national coat of arms of Cameroon occupies the central field, depicting a shield charged with scales of justice and a sword, surmounted by a five-pointed star, flanked by two crossed fasces-style axes with scrolled banners inscribed PAIX and PATRIE to the left and right respectively, and TRAVAIL above. The date 2020 appears prominently above the shield. A raised outer border carries the circular legend REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN along the upper arc and the denomination 500 FRANCS CFA along the lower arc, with the English motto PEACE WORK FATHERLAND inscribed in the lower inner field beneath the arms. |
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| Reverse description | A highly detailed portrait of a mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) is depicted in three-quarter view facing front-right, rendered with naturalistic precision to emphasize the species' distinctive facial coloration and heavy brow ridge. The background features a stylized landscape with mountains and tropical foliage visible to the right. The species name MANDRILL appears as a legend in the field, accompanied by the inscriptions 1 OUNCE and .999 SILVER denoting the coin's bullion specifications. |
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| Additional information |
Cameroon's modern bullion and collector series has been largely produced under contract by the Bavarian State Mint and similar European facilities, with the issuing authority functioning as a licensing arrangement rather than a sovereign minting operation. The mandrill, native to the rainforests of southern Cameroon and among the most visually distinctive primates on earth, has become a recurring subject in this collector-driven output — coins designed and struck entirely abroad for a market of foreign hobbyists.
KM#269 belongs to a wave of sub-Saharan African legal tender issues that proliferated after 2010, where nominal face values bear no relationship to domestic purchasing power or circulation intent.