Zaire, and the many faces of Mobutu

[<k>]

NEW COINS OF 1987 AND 1988

In 1987 a new coinage was introduced.

This was the result of high inflation in the country.


It was denominated in zaires only .

One zaire was equivalent to 100 makutas.


It consisted of brass 1 and 5 zaires coins.

A 10 zaires coin followed in 1988.


This was the final circulation series of Mobutu's regime.

See also:  Denomination names derived from country names.

[<k>]

Zaire, 1 zaire, 1987.

The 1 zaire coin was made of brass.

It weighed 5 grams and had a diameter of 21 mm.


The common obverse featured a new portrait of President Mobutu.

It showed him wearing his trademark leopard skin hat.


The reverse referenced the Bank of Zaire.

All the designs were by the Belgian artist Roger Duterme.

[<k>]

The final Zairean coinage.

Here you see the full set of 1987 and 1988.

All the coins were made of brass.

The 1 zaire coin weighed 5 grams and had a diameter of 21 mm.

The 5 zaires coin weighed 6.85 grams and had a diameter of 24 mm.

The 10 zaires coin weighed 8 grams and had a diameter of 26 mm.

See also:  Coins with the denomination on both sides.

[<k>]

THE NEW ZAIRE OF 1993 TO 1997

The circulation coins of 1987 and 1988 were Zaire's final coins.


The New Zaire replaced the first zaire in 1993.

1 new zaire was equivalent to 3,000,000 old zaires.

It was subdivided into 100 new makuta (symbol: "NK").


This currency was only issued in banknote form.

It suffered from extremely high inflation.

[<k>]

THE END OF ZAIRE AND MOBUTU

From Wikipedia:

As the Cold War waned in the early 1990s, so did Western support for Mobutu. In light of allegations of human rights abuses and rampant corruption, Belgium, France and the United States all suspended military and financial assistance to the regime.

As the economic and political situation worsened, Laurent Kabila began a military drive from eastern Zaire in October 1996 to depose Mobutu. As the rebels advanced, Mobutu - who had been out of the country receiving medical treatment - returned to Zaire, vowing to crush the rebellion.

But by May 1997, with his regime in shambles, Mobutu fled, first to Togo and then to Morocco. He had reportedly requested permission to travel to France for medical treatment, but the French government refused. Less than four months after he was forced into exile, Mobutu died in September 1997 in Morocco.

[<k>]

THE RETURN OF THE CONGOLESE FRANC

After Mobutu, the country returned to its former name.

It became once more the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The franc was re-established in 1997.

It replaced the new zaïre at a rate of 1 franc = 100,000 new zaïres.

This was equivalent to 300 trillion old francs.

The new regime has never issued any coins at all.

The country remains rather unstable.

Will it ever issue coins again? Time will tell.

[<k>]

See also:

Congolese Republic: Unadopted designs from the Royal Mint

Zaire: Mobutu pattern coins of 1987

[<k>]

COMMENTS.

To post comments, questions or corrections regarding this topic, please click on the link below:

Comments on "Zaire, and the many faces of Mobutu".