Coins from the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo or Congo-Kinshasa is a country in Central Africa bordering the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Angola, Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. It remains largely unexplored to this day, but was first mapped by Pierre de Brazza, which allowed for Leopold II of Belgium to lay claim to the region as the Congo Free State during the Scramble for Africa in 1885. Reports of human rights abuses on rubber farms there led the Belgian government to take over the territory in 1908, and it became the Belgian Congo, or Lower Congo to distinguish it from the French Congo, or Middle Congo. Ruanda-Urundi (now Rwanda and Burundi) was attached to it from German East Africa after WWI in 1919; it was a supplier of uranium to the Allies in WWII, and gained it's formal independence from Belgium after the war in 1960. After attempted secession by Katanga, the DRC became an anti-communist right-wing dictatorship during the Cold War, known as Zaïre until 1997. After two civil wars in 1996-2003, the DRC is only a little closer to democracy as of 2018. It currently has a population of about 78.7 million, and uses the Congolese franc. The Belgian Congo was first acquired by King Léopold II in 1885 as the Congo Free State, and coinage on par with the Belgian Franc was issued in 1887-1892. The Congo Free State became notorious for human rights abuses, and was given to the Belgian government in 1908, whereupon coins in the Belgian Congolese Franc were issued starting in 1911. Ruanda-Urundi was attached to it following its acquisition from Germany in 1919. During the 2nd World War, the Belgian Free Forces were based in the Belgian Congo, and brass and silver coinage was minted. The colony became independent as the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1960. The Congo Free State is the former name of present-day Republic of Congo, when it was awarded to the Belgian King Leopold II during the Berlin Conference in 1885. He made a lot of money exploiting the locals for his rubber enterprises. Due to bad conditions and epidemics many millions of Congolese died, but no accurate records exist. International pressure led to the annexation of Congo Free State by the Belgian state in 1908, which marked the start of Belgian Congo.
Wikidata: Q974 Read more

See also: Belgian Congo and Ruanda-Urundi, Katanga

• Franc (1887-1967)
• Zaire (1967-1993)
• New Zaire (1993-1998)
• Franc (1998-date)
• Franc (1887-1967)

Franc (1887-1967)

100 Centimes = 1 Franc

1 Centime - Léopold II
1887-1888
Copper • 1.98 g • ⌀ 19 mm
KM# 1, Schön# 1, LA# VCM-1

1 Centime - Albert I
1910-1919
Copper • 2 g • ⌀ 18 mm
KM# 15, LA# BCM-1

2 Centimes - Léopold II
1887-1888
Copper • 4 g • ⌀ 23 mm
KM# 2, LA# VCM-2

2 Centimes - Léopold II (Trial Strike)
1906
Pattern
Nickel • ⌀ 23 mm

2 Centimes - Albert I
1910-1919
Copper • 4 g • ⌀ 23 mm
KM# 16, LA# BCM-2

5 Centimes - Léopold II
1887-1894
Copper • 10 g • ⌀ 30 mm
KM# 3, LA# VCM-3

5 Centimes - Léopold II
1906-1908
Copper-nickel • 2.5 g • ⌀ 19 mm
KM# 9, LA# VCM-4

5 Centimes - Léopold II
1909
Copper-nickel • 2.5 g • ⌀ 19.1 mm
KM# 12, LA# BCM-3

5 Centimes - Albert I
1910-1928
Copper-nickel • 2.39 g • ⌀ 19 mm
KM# 17, LA# BCM-4, LA# BCM-5

10 Centimes - Léopold II
1887-1894
Copper • 20.1 g • ⌀ 35.2 mm
KM# 4, LA# VCM-5

10 Centimes - Léopold II
1906-1908
Copper-nickel • 4 g • ⌀ 22 mm
KM# 10, LA# VCM-6

10 Centimes - Léopold II
1909
Copper-nickel • 4 g • ⌀ 22 mm
KM# 13, LA# BCM-6

10 Centimes - Albert I
1910-1928
Copper-nickel • 4.0 g • ⌀ 22 mm
KM# 18, LA# BCM-7, LA# BCM-8

20 Centimes - Léopold II
1906-1908
Copper-nickel • 6 g • ⌀ 25 mm
KM# 11, LA# VCM-7

20 Centimes - Léopold II
1909
Copper-nickel • 6 g • ⌀ 25 mm
KM# 14, LA# BCM-9

20 Centimes - Albert I
1910-1911
Copper-nickel • 5.92 g • ⌀ 25 mm
KM# 19, LA# BCM-10

50 Centimes - Léopold II
1887-1896
Silver (.835) • 2.5 g • ⌀ 17.2 mm
KM# 5, LA# VCM-8

50 Centimes - Albert I (French text)
1921-1929
Copper-nickel • 6.46 g • ⌀ 24 mm
KM# 22, LA# BCM-11

50 Centimes - Albert I (Dutch text)
1921-1929
Copper-nickel • 6.5 g • ⌀ 24 mm
KM# 23, LA# BCM-12

1 Franc - Léopold II
1887-1896
Silver (.835) • 5 g • ⌀ 23 mm
KM# 6, LA# VCM-9

1 Franc - Albert I (French text)
1920-1930
Copper-nickel • 10 g • ⌀ 28.8 mm
KM# 20, LA# BCM-13

1 Franc - Albert I (Dutch text)
1920-1929
Copper-nickel • 10 g • ⌀ 28.9 mm
KM# 21, LA# BCM-14

1 Franc - Albert I (Essai; French text)
1920
Pattern
Nickel

1 Franc - Albert I (Essai; French text)
1930
Pattern
Silver

1 Franc - Léopold III
1944-1949
Brass • 2.48 g • ⌀ 19.20 mm
KM# 26, LA# BCM-15

2 Francs - Léopold II
1887-1896
Silver (.835) • 10 g • ⌀ 27 mm
KM# 7, LA# VCM-10

2 Francs - Léopold III
1943
Brass • 5.9 g • ⌀ 30 mm
KM# 25, LA# BCM-16

2 Francs - Leopold III
1946-1947
Brass • 5.0 g • ⌀ 22 mm
KM# 28, LA# BCM-17

5 Francs - Léopold II (Pattern strike)
1887
Pattern
Copper • 24.84 g • ⌀ 37 mm
KM# Pn6

5 Francs - Léopold II (Pattern strike)
1887
Pattern
Copper • 24.84 g • ⌀ 37 mm
KM# Pn7

5 Francs - Léopold II
1887
Silver (.900) • 25 g • ⌀ 37 mm
KM# 8.2, LA# VCM-11

5 Francs - Léopold II (Trial Strike)
1896
Pattern
Lead

5 Francs - Léopold III
1936-1937
Nickel brass • 13 g • ⌀ 33 mm
KM# 24, LA# BCM-18

5 Francs - Léopold III
1947
Brass • 7.9 g • ⌀ 27 mm
KM# 29, LA# BCM-19

10 Francs
1965
Aluminium • 3.27 g • ⌀ 29.8 mm
KM# 1, Schön# 34

10 Francs (5th Anniversary of independence)
1965
Non-circulating coin : 5th Anniversary of independence
Gold (.900) • 3.226 g • ⌀ 19 mm
KM# 2, Schön# 35

10 Francs (Essai)
1965
Pattern
Aluminium • 2.83 g • ⌀ 30.3 mm
Lec# E1

20 Francs (5th Anniversary of independence)
1965
Non-circulating coin : 5th Anniversary of independence
Gold (.900) • 6.452 g • ⌀ 20 mm
KM# 3, Schön# 36

25 Francs (5th Anniversary of independence)
1965
Non-circulating coin : 5th Anniversary of independence
Gold (.900) • 8.064 g • ⌀ 22 mm
KM# 4, Schön# 37

50 Francs - Léopold III
1944
Silver (.500) • 17.5 g • ⌀ 35 mm
KM# 27, LA# BCM-20