10 Francs CFA

The BCEAO was established in 1959 as the common central bank for the former French West African territories transitioning toward independence, and this coin belongs to the first series issued under that institution — minted while several member states were still technically French overseas territories or newly sovereign republics within days of each other. France retained effective control over the CFA franc zone through the Opérations compte, a Treasury arrangement that pooled foreign exchange reserves in Paris, a structural dependency that critics argued neutralized the monetary independence the new flags suggested.

The series ran only to 1964 before redesign, making the window brief.