The Bank of Central African States (BEAC) put into circulation a new series of redesigned XAF (franc) banknotes on 15 December 2022, to celebrate the bank’s 50th anniversary. The new notes will circulate in the Central African States of Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. New visual designs and enhanced security features distinguish the new notes (2020 series) from those in previous series (series 2002).
Five denominations and four official languages
All five denominations of the franc banknotes (XAF 500, 1000, 2000, 5000 and 10,000) have been redesigned and upgraded.
For the first time, the notes will represent all four official languages spoken in the BEAC region: French and Arabic (on the front sides), English and Spanish (on the reverse sides).
New imagery and colour schemes
A drawing of the BEAC headquarters building in Yaoundé, Cameroon appears on the face of all five denominations, but each note has a different colour scheme, as illustrated below:
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
The Bank of Central African States building appears on the face of all new banknotes
Also present on the face of all five banknotes are a map; the denomination as see-through register; a stylized outline of Africa in diamonds; and the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC) logo.
A closer look at the redesigned notes
Each of the new banknotes has a unique colour scheme, a specific theme reflecting the region, and updated security features.
500 franc banknote
The primary colours are gray, yellow, blue, green, and orange. The central theme of this note is modern agriculture. Security features include a solid security thread with CEMAC, a watermark (three eland antelope heads), and electrotype 500.
1,000 franc banknote
The main colours are blue, yellow, red, green, and brown. The main theme of this note is health care.
Security features include a solid security thread with CEMAC, a watermark (three eland antelope heads), and electrotype 1000.
2,000 franc banknote
Red, yellow, green, and gray are the main colours in this note. The theme of this note is environmental protection and fauna. Security features include Silkscreen OVI® green-to-blue stars, a Dualtrack™ color-changing windowed security thread with demetalized BEAC 2000, a watermark (three eland antelope heads), and electrotype 2000.
5,000 franc banknote
The colour scheme here is green, yellow, red, brown, and gray. The primary theme on the back side is environmental protection and fauna. Security features include SPARK Live® gold-to-green with Truspin® effect stars; a RAPID® windowed security thread with BEAC 5000; a watermark (three eland antelope heads); and electrotype 5000.
10,000 franc banknote
Purple, yellow, red, green, and orange are the main colours. The main theme on the back side is education. Security features include SPARK Live® magenta-to-green with Truspin® effect stars, a RAPID® windowed security thread with BEAC 10000, a watermark (three eland antelope heads), and electrotype 10000.
New material for the highest-use banknotes
The new XAF 500 and XAF 1,000 notes are printed on EverFit,® a cotton-based and printed banknote that is laminated with a protective layer to extend the lifecycle of these high-use notes.
The XAF 2,000, XAF 5,000, and XAF 10,000 notes are printed on a classic cotton substrate. Dimensions of the notes vary.
What will become of the older banknotes?
The 2002 series of BEAC banknotes will be gradually withdrawn from circulation as they are returned to BEAC counters starting January 2024. Until then, they will continue to be valid legal tender.
The original 1992 series notes will be redeemable at BEAC counters only until 1 June 2024. After this date, these notes will no longer be eligible for exchange and will not be legal tender.
Sources:
Bank of Central African States
Banknote Industry News
Banknote News
MRI Guide
The Keesing Platform team brings you the latest in various fields, including security documents, security printing, banknotes, identity management, biometrics, blockchain, crypto technology and online onboarding.
