«VISITE LE CONGO ET 128 AUTRES PAYS», visited the Congo and 128 other countries: this inscription on the 1 franc of 2004 from the Democratic Republic of the Congo sums up a pontificate of 104 foreign journeys, more than all previous popes combined. The reverse shows John Paul II wearing a mitre.

He came to the Congo twice, while the country was called Zaire. In May 1980 the pope arrived in Kinshasa and left from Kisangani; in August 1985 he returned, and on 15 August in Kinshasa he beatified the Congolese nun Marie-Clémentine Anuarite Nengapeta.

The coin completes a series of four francs on the path of John Paul II: priest, cardinal, newly elected pope and, at last, pilgrim. The obverse is common to the series, a lion facing left and the legend «REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO». Of the four, this franc is the one that speaks directly about the Congo, which makes it central to a country collection.

Graded AU-UNC, it shows almost no signs of circulation: at most a light rub on the highest points of the relief, with nearly all of its lustre.

For those who collect coins by subject, whether wildlife, architecture, famous people or sport, the VPcoins catalogue offers other themed issues too.