| 裏面の説明 |
Central design depicting six clasped or intertwined hands rendered in high sculptural relief, symbolizing the solidarity and unity of the six member states of the West African Monetary Union. The names of the six member nations — BENIN, NIGER, COTE D'IVOIRE, SENEGAL, HAUTE VOLTA, and TOGO — are inscribed in the field surrounding the central motif. The denomination 5000 FRANCS appears in large bold numerals in the lower portion of the field, with the date 1982 below. The surrounding legend RENFORCEMENT DE LA SOLIDARITE ET DE LA COHESION DE L'UNION MONETAIRE encircles the design along the periphery, interrupted by the same triangular punched ornamental border as the obverse. |
Essai strikes from the BCEAO are pattern-grade pieces produced for official approval and distribution to monetary authorities, never intended for circulation. The West African CFA franc zone — a currency arrangement rooted in the 1945 French colonial monetary framework and still operative today — has issued very few gold pieces of any kind, making approved essais from this period genuinely scarce in the numismatic record.
KM#E14 is among the heavier gold essais documented for this issuer, at a specification inconsistent with any circulating coinage, which suggests it was conceived strictly as a prestige or presentation piece for the 1982 review cycle.