Congolese franc
Worldwide use:
- Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Belgian Congo and Congo Free State have also used this currency in the past.
Description:
The Congolese Franc is the official currency of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. One Congolese Franc is worth 100 Congolese Centimes. Banknotes are issued in 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 Congolese Centimes and 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 5000, 10000 and 20000 Congolese Francs. No Congolese coins are in circulation. The watermark on all Congolese banknotes depicts an Okapi which is native to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
According to the Congolese Banking Association, only 20% of trade in the Democratic Republic of the Congo use the Congolese Franc today, but plans are being made to decrease the use of the Dollar and to strengthen the Congolese Franc.
Origin:
Congolese Francs and Centimes were originally introduced when the region was ruled by Belgium. The currency was pegged at the exact same value as the Belgian Franc. The currency was also used by Rwanda and Burundi from 1916 –1960. In 1967, the Zaïre was introduced to replace the Franc at a value of 1 Zaïre to 1000 Francs. However, the Congolese Franc returned in 1997 as the name of the country reverted from the Republic of Zaïre to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with one Franc equal to 100,000 Zaïres which is actually worth an incredible 300 trillion old Congolese Francs.
Component units:
- Centime (100)
Date introduced:
- 1887
Central bank:
- Central Bank of the Congo
Printer:
Mint: