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500 Francs
| Issuer | Banque des États de l'Afrique Centrale - Empire Centrafricain |
|---|---|
| Year | 1978 |
| Type | Specimen |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | BANQUE DES ÉTATS DE L'AFRIQUE CENTRALE LES AUTEURS OU COMPLICES DE FALSIFICATION OU DE CONTREFAÇON DE BILLETS DE BANQUE SERONT PUNIS CONFORMÉMENT AUX LOIS ET ACTES EN VIGUEUR 500 |
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| Protection description | Antelope head |
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| Comments |
The "Empire Centrafricain" designation on this note reflects one of the more spectacular miscalculations in postcolonial African history. Jean-Bédel Bokassa proclaimed himself Emperor in December 1977, and the BEAC was obligated to issue overprinted or newly titled currency acknowledging the new state name — this 1978 issue being among the results. The empire collapsed in September 1979 when French forces removed Bokassa in Operation Barracuda, making the imperial designation short-lived on circulating currency.
Signatories Oye Mba and Ntoutoume were BEAC officials serving the broader franc zone, not appointees of the imperial government specifically — the central bank served multiple states simultaneously throughout this period.