A chapter in Central Africa’s monetary history closes this Sunday. Coins from the 1958, 1959, 1971, 1976 and 1985 series lose their legal tender status and their power to settle debts, in line with the decision taken by the Ministerial Committee of the Central African Monetary Union (UMAC), which met on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, in N’Djamena. Cameroon, Congo, Gabon, Chad, the Central African Republic and Equatorial Guinea are all affected.
Seven denominations are targeted: the 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 and 500 CFA franc coins from the old series struck between 1958 and 1985. Looking at the number stamped on a coin is therefore not enough to know whether it is concerned, since the 2006 and 2024 series keep their legal tender status throughout the zone and must be accepted without reservation.
The move did not come out of nowhere. It follows the launch, eighteen months ago on April 2, 2025 in Bangui, of the BEAC’s new “2024 type” coin series, which the issuing bank now wants to make universal.
For households and traders alike, the key lies in the timetable. Until July 31, 2027, coins can be exchanged free of charge at commercial banks, microfinance institutions and the BEAC. Then, between August 1 and October 31, 2027, only the central bank’s counters will handle the operation. After that deadline, the old coins can no longer be exchanged. According to Journal du Cameroun, an identity document will also be required.
The announcement nonetheless caused confusion in markets even before the deadline arrived. In Gabon, shopkeepers, transport operators, retailers and wholesalers were already refusing these coins, prompting the BEAC to clarify the arrangements. In Cameroon too, the planned withdrawal triggered sharp tensions. The monetary authorities’ message remains straightforward, though: losing legal tender status does not mean losing value, and everyone has a full year to sort things out.