2021-08-13 Fri

The 10,000 Francs banknote of the West African States is a testimony of the ancient people of the West African region or the Akan people. The banknote primarily features Akan weights used as a measuring system by the Akan people of West Africa.

The Akan are a meta-ethnicity living in the countries of present-day Ghana and Ivory Coast. Akan people are believed to have migrated to their current location from the Sahara desert and Sahel regions of Africa into the forest region around the 11th century. Akan art is wide-ranging and renowned, especially for the tradition of crafting bronze gold weights, using the lost-wax casting method.

The Akan used the lost wax technique to create brass-cast weights for economic transactions involving gold. The Banque Centrale des Etats de l'Afrique de l'Ouest issued CFA franc West Africa banknotes in 6 different denominations, including this 10000 francs banknote West African CFA.

West Africa’s highest denomination banknote is this 10,000 CFA francs bill. The violet-colored note features information technology. On the obverse side of the 10,000 XOF note is the ‘@’ sign, a satellite dish, and a satellite in orbit as well as Catfish shaped brass weight of the Ashanti people for weighing gold dust. On the backside are two birds on a branch.

Image Courtesy: delcampe-static.net