BURUNDI. Banque du Royaume. 1000 Francs, 31.7.1962. P-7. PCGS Currency Gem New 66 PPQ.In 1964, the newly independent country of Burundi issued its first provisional series of notes, denominated in Burundi Francs, which replaced the short-lived Rwanda-Burundi Franc, which were issued first in 1960 by the Banque dEmission du Rwanda et du Burundi. This short-lived currency union issued notes in the Belgian mandate colony of Ruanda-Urundi. When both nations gained their independence as Rwanda and Burundi in 1964 both nations issued several overprinted notes while new designs were in preparation. The 1000 Francs is the highest denomination of this series, and it was overprinted in black on the front. The only date seen with this overprint is dated 31.7.1962, as is this example, although other dates were possibly overprinted as well (the host notes of Rwanda-Burundi come with three different dates, so theoretically all dates can exist with the Burundi overprint).Of the three varieties of this note, the original is the most available, followed by the Rwanda issue, which had a blind embossed stamp to indicate its issuance in Rwanda after independence. The Burundi issue, as seen here, is the scarcest overall, especially in better grades. A small group of uncirculated pieces appeared on the market years ago, but all have long been dispersed, and Gems such as this are very rarely offered. This example is fresh, with full original paper, sharp corners, and strong eye appeal. For the collector of independent Africa, this represents an exceptional opportunity that should not be missed.
