Item 1.
A commemorative circulation coin attributed to Benin in the collection, with a face value of 25 CFA francs from 1982, issued jointly by West African countries as part of the BCEAO and the FAO program.
Obverse: A stylized image of a sawfish, the symbol of the Banque Centrale des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest, against a background of a large number 25; below, the inscription “FRANCS”; along the rim, “BANQUE CENTRALE DES ÉTATS DE L'AFRIQUE DE L'OUEST.”
Reverse: a chemist conducting a laboratory experiment, with the year 1982 above.
The coin is made of an alloy of copper, aluminum, and nickel, weighs 8 g, has a diameter of 27 mm, and has a smooth edge.
Mint: Monnaie de Paris, France.
Mintage: 8,001,600 pieces.
Reference: KM# 20.
The coin is housed in its original collector’s envelope from the “Coins of All Nations” series issued by The Franklin Mint.
The envelope features a 1980 Benin postage stamp with a face value of 50 francs, depicting a traditional musical instrument, postmarked in Cotonou on June 14, 1983.
The set is a collector’s item combining the coin, the original envelope, and a philatelic item.
