100 Francs overprint

Pick 17 represents the transitional moment when Burundi's central bank overprinted existing 100 Francs notes to reflect the country's post-independence institutional reorganization. Burundi had separated its currency arrangements from Rwanda in 1964 following the dissolution of the shared Rwanda-Burundi franc, and these overprints were a practical stopgap while new engraved series were prepared.

The overprint mechanism was common across newly independent African states in the 1960s, but Burundi used it more than once in quick succession — this 1966 issue being among the later applications before fully designed replacement notes arrived.