Banknotes
When the CFA franc was introduced, notes issued by the Banque Centrale des États de l'Afrique Occidentale in denominations of 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 1000 francs were in circulation. 500-franc notes were added in 1946, followed by those of 5,000 francs in 1948. In 1955, the Institut d'Emission de l'A.O.F. et du Togo took over the production of paper money, issuing notes for 50, 100, 500 and 1000 francs.
In 1959, the BCEAO took over the issuance of paper money and reintroduced a 5,000-franc note. With the exception of a few early issues, the notes of the BCEAO carry a letter to indicate the country of issuance. 50-franc notes were last issued in 1959, with 100 francs not issued since 1965. 10,000-franc notes were introduced in 1977, followed by 2,500-franc notes in 1992
In 2004, a new series of notes was introduced in denominations of 1,000, 2,000, 5,000 and 10,000 francs, with the 500-franc note having been replaced by a coin the year before. The newer notes contain updated security features and are more modern in design. The change was welcomed because of a perception that the old notes were dirty and disease-ridden (1). The colour of the 5,000-franc note was changed from blue to green. On November 30, 2012, the Banque Centrale des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (Central Bank of the West African States) issued a 500 franc banknote.
| Banknotes of the West African CFA franc (1991-1992 issue) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Obverse | Reverse | Remark | |
| 500 francs | Flood control dam; man | Garden tractor | A (Côte d'Ivoire / Ivory Coast); B (Benin); C (Burkina Faso); D (Mali); H (Niger); K (Senegal); T (Togo); S (Guinea-Bissau) | |
| 1000 francs | Hauling peanuts; woman | Carvings; women; riverside storage bins | A (Côte d'Ivoire / Ivory Coast); B (Benin); C (Burkina Faso); D (Mali); H (Niger); K (Senegal); T (Togo); S (Guinea-Bissau) | |
| 2500 francs | Hydroelectric dam; woman | Spraying pesticide | A (Côte d'Ivoire / Ivory Coast); B (Benin); C (Burkina Faso); D (Mali); H (Niger); K (Senegal); T (Togo) | |
| 5000 francs | Smelting plant; women | A group of women | A (Côte d'Ivoire / Ivory Coast); B (Benin); C (Burkina Faso); D (Mali); H (Niger); K (Senegal); T (Togo); S (Guinea-Bissau) | |
| 10,000 francs | Banque Centrale des États de l'Afrique de l'Ouest (Central Bank of the West African States) building, Dakar; man | A woman walking on a vine bridge | A (Côte d'Ivoire / Ivory Coast); B (Benin); C (Burkina Faso); D (Mali); H (Niger); K (Senegal); T (Togo); S (Guinea-Bissau) | |
| Banknotes of the West African CFA franc (2003 issue) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Obverse | Reverse | Remark | |
| 500 francs CFA | A wooden carved mask; Computerization in West Africa: hand touching a touch tablet PC which is connected to West African countries on the outline map of Africa | Hippopotamuses | A (Côte d'Ivoire / Ivory Coast); B (Benin); C (Burkina Faso); D (Mali); H (Niger); K (Senegal); T (Togo); S (Guinea-Bissau) | |
| 1000 francs CFA | A wooden carved mask; symbols of education and health | Camels | A (Côte d'Ivoire / Ivory Coast); B (Benin); C (Burkina Faso); D (Mali); H (Niger); K (Senegal); T (Togo); S (Guinea-Bissau) | |
| 2000 francs CFA | A wooden carved mask; transportation | Fish | A (Côte d'Ivoire / Ivory Coast); B (Benin); C (Burkina Faso); D (Mali); H (Niger); K (Senegal); T (Togo); S (Guinea-Bissau) | |
| 5000 francs CFA | A wooden carved mask; agriculture | Antelopes (Kobus kob kob) | A (Côte d'Ivoire / Ivory Coast); B (Benin); C (Burkina Faso); D (Mali); H (Niger); K (Senegal); T (Togo); S (Guinea-Bissau) | |
| 10,000 francs CFA | A wooden carved mask; telecommunication | Birds (Tauroco macrorhynchus) | A (Côte d'Ivoire / Ivory Coast); B (Benin); C (Burkina Faso); D (Mali); H (Niger); K (Senegal); T (Togo); S (Guinea-Bissau) | |
Read more about this topic: West African CFA Franc