1000 Francs - Billet de test Congolais

This is a test note — not legal tender, never intended for circulation, produced to evaluate paper stock, print registration, or security feature performance before a production run is approved. The Banque Centrale du Congo has used such specimens and test pieces in conjunction with currency reform planning, and notes of this type occasionally escape destruction and reach the collector market.

Matej Gabris is a Slovak designer with a notable sideline in producing unofficial fantasy and test notes for various African issuers — his involvement here likely means this originated outside the central bank's own procurement chain entirely.