Catalog
5000 Francs Independence
| Issuer | Cameroon (1960-date) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1970 |
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| Value | 5000 Francs (5000 FCFA) |
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| Obverse description | Left-facing bare-headed effigy of President El Hadj Ahmadou Ahidjo occupying the central field, rendered in high relief with finely detailed surface texture. The bilingual circular legend reads 'REPUBLIQUE FEDERALE DU CAMEROUN' and 'FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON' around the upper periphery, separated by stylised ornamental devices at the three and nine o'clock positions. The name 'EL HADJ A. AHIDJO' appears in script below the portrait, flanked by the parallel bilingual motto 'PAIX·TRAVAIL·PATRIE' and 'PEACE·WORK·FATHERLAND' along the lower arc. The lettering throughout is executed in an ornate script typeface consistent with Monnaie de Paris production of the period. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | Republique Federale du Cameroun Federal Republic of Cameroon El Hadj A. Ahidjo Paix·Travail·Patrie Peace·Work·Fatherland |
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| Additional information |
Cameroon achieved independence from French administration on January 1, 1960, and the anglophone Southern Cameroons voted to federate with the new republic in a 1961 UN plebiscite — a union that created ongoing political tensions still unresolved decades later. Gold commemoratives of this period were issued primarily for international sale rather than domestic circulation, a common practice among newly independent African states seeking hard currency and diplomatic visibility simultaneously.
KM#20 is part of a suite of gold issues tied to the tenth anniversary of independence.