Bank.notes

Collection Democratic Republic of the Congo #134

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50 Francs CDF

Democratic Republic of the Congo 2022 1990_present UNC P-97b Needs review ✦ AI 90%
Front · IMG_6317.jpeg cropped
Back · IMG_6318.jpeg cropped
Pair check: ! check failed checked 2026-05-09T09:54:45.094795
Identity

Where & when

Country Democratic Republic of the Congo
Currency CDF
Denomination 50 Francs
Series name 2013 Reform Series
Series year
Issue year 2022
Era 1990_present
Legal status in_circulation
Predecessor currency Zairean Zaire
Successor currency
Subjects & design

What's on the note

Front portrait Traditional Congolese mask
Reverse subject Fishing village on the Congo River
Watermark Mask motif in clear field at left
Color palette #d4a574,#8b4513,#f5deb3
Themes indigenous_culture, architecture, agriculture
Language / script Latin

Front: Traditional carved wooden mask from the Democratic Republic of Congo, representing the rich artistic heritage of Congolese peoples. The mask features elaborate geometric patterns and demonstrates the intricate woodcarving traditions that have been central to Central African cultural and spiritual life for centuries. Such masks are used in ceremonies and are recognized globally as masterworks of African art. The Banque Centrale du Congo issued this design as part of the post-2013 currency reform to stabilize the Congolese franc and emphasize national cultural identity.

Back: A fishing village along the Congo River (Fleuve Congo), showing traditional thatched-roof huts on stilts and fishing boats. The inscription 'UN VILLAGE DE PÊCHEURS AU BORD DU FLEUVE CONGO' (A fishing village on the banks of the Congo River) identifies the scene. This depicts the traditional riverine lifestyle that sustains many Congolese communities along the world's second-largest river by discharge, emphasizing the importance of fishing and river commerce to the Congolese economy and way of life. The word 'MAKUMI TANO' (meaning 'fifty' in Lingala) appears at lower right.

Production

How it was made

Issuer Banque Centrale du Congo
Issuer (native) Banque Centrale du Congo
Printer
Engraver
Material paper
Dimensions (mm) 150x70

Signatures: Le Gouverneur: signature present (name illegible from image)

Security features: thread, microprint, intaglio, see_through_register, latent_image

Geography

Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa

Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa. Other countries on the same continent shown in muted grey.

The story

Background & history

This note belongs to the 2013 Reform Series of Congolese francs, introduced to address chronic inflation and currency instability. The Democratic Republic of Congo redenominated its currency in 1998, removing three zeros, and subsequent series have maintained the franc. This 50-franc denomination dated 04.01.2022 represents the current circulating currency. The design emphasizes Congolese cultural heritage through traditional masks and riverine life, distancing from colonial-era imagery. The bilingual text (French and Lingala) reflects the country's linguistic diversity.

Catalogue

Collector references

Pick # 97b
Krause ID
Rarity tier common
Series range 2013–present
Provenance

How it came to me

Acquired date
Acquired from
Acquired price
Currency
Condition
Grade UNC
Serial number KF1493396G
Serial prefix KF
Serial suffix G

Appears uncirculated with sharp corners and no visible wear

Valuation

What it's worth now

$2–$5
Type default range $2–$5
Valuation history (1)
datelowhighcurrencysourcenote
2026-05-08 16:40:27 2.0 5.0 USD ai from claude-sonnet-4-5
Technical

History & extractions

AI extractions (3)
research:anthropic · claude-sonnet-4-5 2026-05-09 09:37:58
status: error · step 10
research:openai · gpt-4o 2026-05-09 00:16:24
status: ok · step 10 · $0.0263 · 6401↓ + 1030↑ tokens
anthropic · claude-sonnet-4-5 2026-05-08 16:40:27
status: ok · step 1 · $0.0366 · 6237↓ + 1193↑ tokens
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