- Not to be confused with the Central African 500 franc coin of the CEMAC.
| 500 francs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| Coin from 1986 | |||
| General information | |||
| Country |
| ||
| Used by |
| ||
| Value |
500.00 CFA francs | ||
| Years |
1985–1986 | ||
| Measurements and composition | |||
| Mass |
11 g | ||
| Diameter |
30 mm | ||
| Composition | |||
| Appearance | |||
| Shape |
round | ||
| Alignment |
coin | ||
| Edge |
plain | ||
| Obverse |
Woman, bank title | ||
| Reverse |
Plant, state title, value, year | ||
| v · d · e | |||
The 500 franc coin is a circulation piece of the Central African Republic that was issued from 1985 to 1986. In addition, an unissued essai was minted in the former of the two years. The piece, initially produced at the Pessac facility of the Monnaie de Paris in France, was distributed by the Bank of Central African States. It currently holds a legal tender face value equivalent to 500.00 Central African CFA francs in the member states of the Economic and Monetary Union of Central Africa, including Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon.
The coin is composed of cupronickel and has a mass of 11 grams and a diameter of 30 millimeters. It has coin alignment and a plain edge, and like most coins, is round in shape. Displayed at the left center of the obverse, designed by the Atelier de Gravure des Monnaies et Médailles (AGMM) of the Monnaie de Paris, is the head of an indigenous Central African woman facing ½ left. To her lower right, the French name of the Bank of Central African States, "BANQUE DES ETATS DE L'AFRIQUE CENTRALE", is engraved on five right-aligned lines. Also, on essais, the word "ESSAI" is printed vertically in small print above the bank title. Featured in the middle of the reverse, also designed by the AGMM, are leafy plants native to portions of Central Africa. The face value "500 FRANCS" is printed above on two lines, the numeral larger than the following word. Inscribed clockwise along the upper rim of the piece, above the aforementioned reverse elements, is the state title of the Central African Republic, "REPUBLIQUE CENTRAFRICAINE", which commences at the upper left periphery and concludes at the upper right. The year of the coin's minting appears at the bottom of the piece, below the images of the plants. It is flanked to the left by the cornucopia privy mark of the Monnaie de Paris and to the right by the dolphin mark of Émile Rousseau (1927–2010), the Graveur général des monnaies at Paris when the coin was struck. The rims of both the obverse and reverse are raised, the angles of the rim forming the shape of an octagon.
The total mintage of the circulation 500 franc coins of the Central African Republic is currently unknown. However, about 1,700 essais are reported to have been struck in 1985. All examples were initially produced in an Uncirculated grade, although specimens intended for circulation often show wear.
| Years | |
|---|---|
| Year | Mintage |
| 1985 | |
| 1985 Essai | 1,700 |
| 1986 | |
References[]
- Numismatic Guaranty Corporation – 1985-1986 Central African Republic 500 Francs KM# 11
- Numismatic Guaranty Corporation – 1985 Central African Republic 500 Francs KM# E6
- Numista – 500 Francs - Central African Republic (English) (French)
Central African CFA franc on the English Wikipedia
Template:Central African Republic currency Template:Central Africa 500 francs Template:CACFA