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500 Francs Independence
| Issuer | Dahomey (1960-1975) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1971 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | KM#3, Schön#3 |
| Obverse description | The national coat of arms of Dahomey is centrally displayed, flanked by the country name REPUBLIQUE DU DAHOMEY arcing above. The date 1971 appears at the top of the field, while the anniversary inscription 1er Août 1970 / 10ème Anniversaire is positioned across the field. The national motto FRATERNITE JUSTICE TRAVAIL is rendered in the lower field, with the denomination 500 FRANCS CFA and the fineness mark 999,9 inscribed near the lower rim. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Reeded |
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| Additional information |
Dahomey's independence coinage was never intended for circulation. These silver pieces were struck by the Monnaie de Paris explicitly for the international collector market — a revenue strategy adopted by dozens of newly independent African states in the 1960s and early 1970s, often coordinated through agreements with European mints eager for the contract work. The political entity that commissioned this coin ceased to exist in 1975 when Mathieu Kérékou's Marxist-Leninist government renamed the country Benin following his 1972 coup.
KM#3 is one of only four coin types struck for Dahomey across its entire fifteen-year existence as a named state.