50 Francs Independence

Niger gained independence from France on August 3, 1960, and this commemorative was among the first sovereign issues struck for the new republic. France's mint at Paris produced the piece — a pointed continuity given the political circumstances — using the same .900 fine standard that French colonial coinage had long employed in the region.

The issue had an extremely limited mintage, and most examples appear to have been sold directly to collectors rather than circulated, which accounts for the disproportionate survival rate in original condition.