Burundi’s smallest coin kept nearly the same look for almost half a century: the aluminium 1 franc bearing the republic’s arms appeared in 1976, and this 2003 piece is one of the late entries in that long run. It was struck by Britain’s Pobjoy Mint.

The obverse shows the arms of Burundi: a shield with a lion’s head set against three crossed spears, above a ribbon with the motto. The motto appears twice, in Kirundi as «UBUMWE IBIKORWA AMAJAMBERE» and in French as «UNITE TRAVAIL PROGRES», Unity, Work, Progress. The reverse is given over to a large «1F» and the issuer’s name, «BANQUE DE LA REPUBLIQUE DU BURUNDI».

The 2003 issue is easy to tell from the 1993 coins: it has a wide obverse rim and a smaller coat of arms. For a date run of the Burundian franc, this is a visible die difference rather than merely another year.

Grade XF: light wear on the highest points of the relief, while every fine detail of the arms and the motto lettering remains distinct.

The VPcoins catalogue features coins from many countries, making it easy to build a collection by geography or by subject.