2020-08-11 Tue

August 11 is Independence Day in Chad which commemorates the independence of the Republic of Chad from France in 1960.

The French began to establish their authority over Chad in 1890s through military expeditions. The decisive colonial battle for the territory was fought in 1990. The Battle of Kousséri resulted in the decisive French victory. During World War II, Chad was the first French colony to support Free French Forces led by Charles de Gaulle.

In 1946, Chad was designated overseas territory of France. In 1958, it became an autonomous republic within the French Community. Finally, on August 11, 1960, Chad became a fully independent state. After gaining independence from France in 1960, Chad observed the 10th Anniversary of this independence with a five coin proof set dated 1970.

They chose to honor John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Charles de Gaulle, and Abdel Nasser. These 200 Franc coins were struck at the Brussels mint. This coin portrays the famous civil rights leaders. The reverse of these coins depict map of Chad inside the map of Africa.

Image Courtesy: numis.org