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500 Francs Year of the Dragon
| Issuer | Bank of Central African States (BEAC) |
|---|---|
| Year | 2024 |
| Type | Non-circulating coin |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents a dramatic high-relief composition featuring two intertwined dragons arranged in a yin-yang formation, symbolizing duality and cosmic balance. The upper dragon is rendered in polished silver with ruthenium antiquing, depicted coiling through stylized clouds and bare trees, while the lower dragon is finished in selective gold plating, shown writhing amid crashing waves and rocky terrain. The Chinese character 龍 (dragon) appears in the left field in gold. A red crystal inset is embedded near the upper left of the border. The entire design is framed by a Greek key meander border, with the legend YEAR OF THE DRAGON arcing around the upper rim and the date 2024 inscribed at the lower left, with DRAGON at the lower right. |
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| Additional information |
The Bank of Central African States issues collector coinage well outside its core monetary mandate — the BEAC's six member nations (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea) use the CFA franc for everyday commerce, and pieces like this exist purely for the international numismatic market. The Year of the Dragon theme has no cultural roots in Central Africa; the BEAC simply licenses popular motifs to generate foreign exchange revenue, a practice common among small issuing authorities with recognized minting infrastructure.
Ruthenium plating, used here for contrast effects, became fashionable in collector coinage around 2010 and remains expensive relative to rhodium alternatives.