In the summer of 1967 Congo changed its money: on 23 June the zaire replaced the Congolese franc at a thousand old francs to one new unit, and this aluminium 1 likuta became one of the first coins of the new system. The zaire was divided into 100 makuta (singular: likuta), and each likuta into 100 sengi.

One side carries a bold «1K» in a circle and the legend «BANQUE NATIONALE DU CONGO», as the coins were issued by the National Bank of the Congo. The other shows the state arms with a leopard’s head, the motto «JUSTICE PAIX TRAVAIL» (Justice, Peace, Work), the words «UN LIKUTA» and the date.

The bank introduced only three coins at the time: 10 sengi and 1 likuta in aluminium and 5 makuta in copper-nickel. The arms adopted in 1964 lasted only until 1971, when the country was renamed Zaire, so this likuta preserves the emblem of a brief period between independence and the Zaire era. In an African collection it marks the very beginning of the zaire as a currency.

Graded AU-UNC, the coin is almost uncirculated: wear is barely visible on the highest points of the relief and most of the original lustre remains. For a light everyday coin of the 1960s, that condition is a strong argument in its favour.

If you collect coins by country or by theme, take a look at the VPcoins catalogue: it is a convenient place to find the neighbouring pieces of a series.