Monnaie de Paris Trimetallic coins for BEAC

Bank of Central African States

First launching set in the following states : Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic

Trimetallic coin Innovation 500 Francs CFA for BEAC (Bank of Central African States) :

Innovation is not just for digital payments or banknotes, it is just as vital for coins, the foundation of daily transactions, trust, and national identity. To stay relevant, coins must keep evolving in design, technology, and security.

That is where the trimetallic coin comes in.

Building on decades of expertise in trimetallic technology (since world premiere in 1992), Monnaie de Paris created this innovative new trimetallic coins with close cooperation with its customer, by pushing further the design limits (thin thickness combined with specific wide core and narrow intermediate ring), the process limits (a new striking device developed in house, enabling the high speed closure of the three parts in one strike), and the anti-counterfeit features (combination of specific massive alloys which create a unique electromagnetic signal) for this high face value coin.

The 500 Francs CFA is a breakthrough that set a new standard for high face value coin innovation.

When we speak about trimetallic coins, their advantages go far beyond technology, they are strategic. Let us highlight three key advantages :

1. Durability. While a banknote lasts just one to three years, a coin circulates for 15 to 20. Fewer renewals mean lower costs and a more sustainable system.
2. Security. Combining three alloys in one piece makes counterfeiting virtually impossible, protecting both trust and currency integrity.
3. Prestige. Launching a trimetallic coin sends a clear signal of innovation and leadership. It elevates the national currency and enhances citizens’ pride and confidence in their money.

Now let us bring this innovation to life with two recent and prestigious trimetallic projects:

• The first is the 500 Franc CFA 2024 for the Bank of Central African States.

Here, the gold-toned center shows a student’s portrait, a symbol of education and the future, along with two letters of “FCFA.” The silver ring continues the composition with the student’s body and the famous African antelopes, while the outer ring completes the design and bears the Bank’s name in four languages, celebrating unity and diversity.

Trimetallic coins are true innovation. They bring greater security, durability, and prestige, helping central banks modernize their series and strengthen public trust.

The Monnaie de Paris novelty in the 500 F BEAC presented has unique features and process :

-the size of the components is designed in a very narrow intermediate ring which is coined in one step all together in only one operation thanks to a special development made in house.  The coin has a very wide centre piece in this case, which has nothing to do with former existing (very few) trimetallic circulation coins.

-the electromagnetic signal resulting from the specific combination of the three massive alloys components has been specifically designed to operate as a hidden security features easy to read on sorting or vending or counting machines. This to protect against counterfeiting as this coin has a high face value (500 FCFA is about 1 USD).

-for the first time this design and technology has enabled us to produce at high speed of almost 600 rpm.

-we produced several tens of millions pieces for our customer, who put them on the market last year in 2025.

-this coin design and is a very highly recycle solution as 100 per cent of the material is directly reusable for creating new coins when needed.

Today, this concept has been refined for central banks worldwide. Trimetallic coins are visually striking, highly secure, and seamlessly fit into existing series.

They can even replace low-value banknotes, bringing durability, savings, and prestige.