| 5 pcs lot 5x Guinea P47b 500 Francs 2017 UNC—See Where 1/3 of World's Aluminum Begins

Banknote Characteristics

• Varieties:
  • P-47a — 2015, Minister of Finance: Karamokoba Camara
  • P-47b — 2017, Minister of Finance: Malado Kaba (this note)
• Color: Mainly green
• Front: Portrait of smiling Guinean woman with headscarf and hoop earrings at left; two doves; Coat of Arms of the Republic of Guinea at center (in use since 1993), featuring a dove with an olive branch and the motto Travail, Justice, Solidarité (Work, Justice, Solidarity); security thread present
• Back: Minehead and mining facility
• Watermark: Smiling woman
• Composition: Paper
• Size: 128 × 63 mm
• Issuing entity: Central Bank of the Republic of Guinea (Banque centrale de la République de Guinée)
• Printer: Not confirmed
• Demonetized: Current — not demonetized
• Signatures: Louncény Nabé, Governor; Malado Kaba, Minister of Finance
• Currency: Guinean franc (new franc, 1985–date, Fetching live USD to GNF rate...

About Guinea

• Origin of name Guinea: Disputed. Theories: Berber Aguinaw / Akal n-Iguinawen ("land of black people"), used by North African traders; Soninke Guinaw ("women") or place name in Ghana Empire; Portuguese corruption of Djenné trading town. Applied loosely by Europeans to entire West African coast before attachment to specific territories.
• Capital: Conakry (city pop. ~2.0 million; metro pop. ~2.5 million) — name theories: Susu "Cona" (local chief/clan) + "nakiri" ("other side" / "across water"); or Susu "ko nakiri" ("place across" / "far bank"), referring to settlement on Tombo Island
• Population: ~14 million (UN 2024) — similar to Illinois; more than Belgium but less than the Netherlands
• Area: 245,857 km² (~94,926 mi²) — similar to Oregon; less than Romania but greater than the United Kingdom
• GDP per capita at PPP: ~$2,900 USD (IMF 2024) — ranks ~172nd out of 193 globally
• Main exports: Bauxite, gold, diamonds, alumina, coffee, fish
• Borders: Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone
• Official/spoken languages: French (official); Pular (Fula) (~40%), Mandinka (~30%), Susu (~20%)
• Sovereignty:
  • Various Fula, Mandinka, and Susu kingdoms and chieftaincies (pre-colonial)
  • French Guinea (colonial territory, 1891–1958)
  • Republic of Guinea (2 October 1958–date) — first sub-Saharan African country to vote for independence from France; this note issued during this period

Guinea Unfiltered

• Guinea holds an estimated one-third of the world's bauxite reserves — the ore from which aluminium is made. The mining facility on the reverse is not decorative. It is the country's primary economic reality.
• In 1958, Guinea was the only French African territory to vote non in de Gaulle's referendum on the French Community. France responded by withdrawing all aid, personnel, and infrastructure within two months — reportedly even removing light bulbs from government buildings on the way out.
• Guinea's first president, Sékou Touré, ruled for 26 years and built one of the most repressive states in post-colonial Africa. An estimated 50,000 people died in his prisons, including at the notorious Camp Boiro. He was celebrated internationally as an anti-colonial hero for most of that time.
• Guinea has experienced four coups since independence — in 1984, 2008, 2021, and 2022 — yet its currency has remained in continuous use, redenominated once in 1985 at a rate of 1 new franc = 100 old sylis.

A Smiling Woman Who Outlasted Four Coups

The smiling woman on the obverse is not a named historical figure — she is a portrait of Guinean womanhood, a face chosen to represent the country's people rather than its rulers. Her headscarf and hoop earrings are everyday dress; the two doves beside her carry the same symbolism as the dove on the Coat of Arms at center — peace, rendered twice. Her watermark echo ties the security of the note to her image. Four governments have come and gone. She remains.

One-Third of the World's Aluminum Starts Here

The minehead on the reverse is Guinea's economic story in a single image. One-third of the world's aluminium starts in the red laterite hills of the Fouta Djallon. The ore leaves Guinea as bauxite; it returns as aircraft, cars, and cans. The value added happens elsewhere. The note acknowledges the extraction without explaining the economics. Guinea's largest mining operations — including the Simandou iron ore project, one of the largest untapped iron ore deposits on earth — have attracted investment from Rio Tinto, Chinese state companies, and others for decades, with production repeatedly delayed by political instability and infrastructure challenges.

Own This Note from the Country That Said No to France

Guinea's 500 Francs note is an affordable, uncirculated piece from one of West Africa's most resource-rich and politically turbulent countries. The smiling woman has watched four governments come and go. The mine keeps running. The note keeps circulating.

A small denomination from a country sitting on a third of the world's aluminium.