The Bank of the Central African States, BEAC, has refuted the authenticity of images circulating online that purportedly depict the design of new coins to be introduced in the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa, CEMAC.
In a press release dated March 6, the bank clarified that these images are false and that the official release of new coins is scheduled for the beginning of April 2025. The Bank of the Central African States, BEAC, reaffirmed its plans to introduce a new series of coins for the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa, CEMAC, by early April 2025. This initiative aims to enhance the region’s monetary circulation with improved security features and a more durable design.
In anticipation of the official launch, BEAC has urged the public to rely only on verified sources for updates regarding the new currency, ensuring transparency and trust in the region’s financial system. BEAC emphasized that it has not issued any images of the upcoming coins and strongly denounced the spread of misleading information aimed at deceiving the public. One of the fake images featured a coin with a 350 FCFA denomination, a value not currently in circulation. “BEAC wishes to clarify that it is in no way the source of this false information and firmly denounces this crude manipulation, the clear objective of which is to deceive the population and sow confusion,” the bank statement which The National Post came across stated.
The bank further urged the public to remain vigilant and rely solely on official communication channels for updates regarding the issuance of new currency. It assured that appropriate announcements would be made through formal channels before the new coins are put into circulation across all six CEMAC member states. BEAC’s decision to introduce new coins is driven by the ongoing coin shortage that has affected economic activities in the region, particularly impacting small businesses and taxi operators. Many citizens in Cameroon have reported difficulties in conducting daily transactions due to the unavailability of coins. In response to the crisis, BEAC had previously issued a batch of coins in 2024 to address the scarcity. Despite this intervention, the problem has persisted, prompting the bank to take further action with the planned release in April 2025.
The disappearance of coins from circulation remains a contentious issue, with speculations pointing to Chinese game operators allegedly smuggling them for use in jewelry production. However, no official confirmation has been made regarding these claims. This latest development follows BEAC’s introduction of new banknotes in 2022, which featured a redesigned look and the addition of Arabic as a third language alongside French and English. Currently, coins in the CEMAC region are available in denominations of 25, 50, 100, and 500 FCFA. Whether the upcoming coins will feature a new design or altered denominations remains unknown, as BEAC has not disclosed further details.
