One note for eight countries: the CFA franc of the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) is shared by the whole West African Economic and Monetary Union, and the state for which a note was printed is shown by a letter — K for Senegal.

The front of the note shows a man wearing a head cloth and a hydroelectric flood-control dam. The back shows a farmer driving a small tractor: water and mechanised farming tell the story of the region’s economy without a word.

The BCEAO issued this design from 1991, it was printed by the Banque de France, and the date on the note changed from one printing to the next — this example is dated 2002. In 2004 this 500-franc type was withdrawn from circulation, and the BCEAO did not issue a new 500-franc note until November 2012.

CFA francs are collected by country letter and date: this design has eight country varieties, and the note with letter K dated 2002 is a separate position in that run. UNC condition means the note has never circulated: no folds, no wear, no soiling, even corners — just as it left the press.

VPcoins is a coin and banknote shop where collectable value comes first.