Time Period: 1883-1930

Timeline

• 1883-1924
• Issuance of tokens without denomination, made of cut zinc sheet:
  - Shape determined the denomination: octagonal - 1.50 Francs, square - 1.00 Franc, rectangular - 0.50 Franc, triangular - 0.20 Franc, hexagonal - 0.10 Francs
  - Produced for the trade posts Franceville (mark "F"), Diélé (mark "D"), and Lékéti (mark "L"), the latter two were not issued
  - 23.07.1887: Colonial administration ordinance, admits the tokens for general circulation
  - 19.08.1888: Fire in the trade post of Franceville destroys many of the tokens, the undamaged ones are marked with an additional "P"
  - around 1893: Issuance of additional tokens (except for the denomination 1.50 Francs)
  - around 1924: Demonetization of the tokens.
• 1883-1890
• Issuance of milled brass tokens of 50, 25, 5 Francs for the "French African West" (at the trade post of Franceville):
  - Denominations expressed in "units of 5 Francs"
  - around 1890: Demonetization of the tokens.
• 1925-1929
• Issuance of tokens without denomination, made of milled aluminium with a central hole:
  - Every year another animal was depicted: elephant (1925), leopard (1926), buffalo (1927), pelican (1928), rhinoceros (1929)
  - Possibly used as receipt for poll tax but may also have circulated as substitute for small change (that the values differed with the animals depicted is likely a later invention).