INTRODUCTION OF CFA BANKNOTES BY BANK OF CENTRAL AFRICAN STATES (BEAC) 1 The CFA franc is the name of two currencies issued in Africa; the West African CFA and the Central (Equatorial) African CFA. Although theoretically separate the two currencies are effectively interchangeable . The CFA banknotes are probably the most complex series of banknotes ever issued. 2 The notes for this region were originally issued by the Caisse Centrale de la France d'Outre Mer (1944) and in 1947 a new series was issued that still did not bear the names of the colonies. Notes were issued in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 100, 1000, followed by 500 in 1949 and 5000 in 1952. In 1957 the Institut d'Emission de l'Afrique Equatoriale Francaise et du Cameroon took over paper money production , and this was followed in 1961 by the Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique Equatoriale et du Cameroun. The bank dropped the word Cameroun in 1963 and dropped the words Equatoriale to end up in 1975 with the name Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale. States now began issuing notes in their own names in denominations of 500, 1000, 5000, and 10000. This practice ended in 1993 since then banknotes have been issued with only a letter prominently displayed to distinguish the states. 2000 franc notes were introduced in 1993. The Central African countries using the CFA are Cameroun, Chad, Congo, Central African Republic, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea (from 1984).Unlike the West African CFA countries they do not have a letter code each note bears the individual countries name. 3-4 A single design however is often used on the same denomination across different countries,sometimes different obverse and same reverse, and sometimes same obverse with country name and same reverse. 5 As with West African CFA notes some of the Central African notes are attractive and colorful and are becoming rare, so stimulating collectors interest. 1 (click link African CFA Countries Map) 3 CENTRAL AFRICAN COUNTRIES 1000 FRANC SERIES individual country names with different obverse and a common reverse 4 CENTRAL AFRICAN COUNTRIES 5000 FRANC SERIES individual country names with same obverse and reverse CENTRAL AFRICAN COUNTRIES 10000 SERIES individual country names with the same obverse and reverse 5 CHAD 5000 FRANCS 1980 PICK 8, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC 5000 FRANCS 1980 PICK 11
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