CEMAC: the end of the road for old FCFA coins – everything you need to know so you don't lose your money
It's official. Since 1 November 2026, old-range coins can no longer be used to pay. Speaking yesterday to the BEAC's National Director for Chad, Mr Taoukreo Hemwue Temwa, Logone Inside sets out the facts to avoid panic and confusion.
Translated from French. Lire en français
N'DJAMENA – A page is turning for the CFA franc in coins. In line with the Resolution of the Ministerial Committee of the Central African Monetary Union (UMAC) adopted on 7 October 2026 in N'Djamena, the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) is demonetising old-range coins.
In practice, this concerns coins from the 1958, 1959, 1971, 1976 and 1985 series. These worn coins, still plentiful in piggy banks and on market stalls, have now lost their legal tender status throughout the six CEMAC countries (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Chad).
According to the BEAC's National Directorate in Chad, the aim is clear: to simplify the currency landscape and make room for the new 2024 range, in circulation since April 2025 (with the new 200 FCFA coin), which is still struggling to take hold because the old coins have not been withdrawn.
Careful, don't throw anything away! You have 12 months to exchange them free of charge
This is the big confusion to avoid. The old coins were valid until 31 October 2026. Since 1 November, traders no longer accept them, but you do not lose your money: the BEAC is opening a 12-month free exchange period.
The National Director stressed three key points for Chad:
- The exchange is 100% free.
- You do not need to be a bank customer to be served.
- The 2006 and 2024 ranges remain fully valid. Only coins from before 1986 are affected.
Where to exchange? The two-stage timetable to remember
The BEAC has specified the collection points:
From 1 November 2026 to 31 July 2027 (9 months): you can exchange your coins at the counters of credit institutions (banks), microfinance institutions, and directly at BEAC counters.
From 1 August to 31 October 2027 (3 months): a catch-up phase, exclusively at BEAC counters, in N'Djamena and at the regional branches.
After 1 November 2027, it's over
No further exchange will be possible. Your coins will become mere collector's items, with no monetary value.
Now is the time to break open piggy banks, empty the granaries and alert relatives in rural areas, who hoard these old coins the most. Traders, remember that coins from the 2006 and 2024 ranges must still be accepted: refusing them has no legal basis.
The modernisation of the FCFA is under way.
- Published on:
- Sunday, 1 November 2026
Related articles
Chadian gold in the BEAC's vaults?
Meeting in N'Djamena in early October, the BEAC board approved the framework for its programme to buy gold produced in the region. An ambitious project that could directly involve Chad's gold sector.
CEMAC Commission: what budget for what integration?
Behind the grand statements on regional integration lies a very practical question: how to fund community institutions? CEMAC's budget reveals a growing dependence on external financing.
One QR code to pay in six countries: GIMAC's quiet revolution
Paying a merchant with your phone, whatever your operator or bank, in any CEMAC country: that is the goal of the reforms led by the BEAC and GIMAC. Where do things stand, and where does Chad fit in?
Douala–Kribi–N'Djamena corridor: less paperwork, more trucks?
For landlocked Chad, the corridor linking it to Cameroon's ports is a vital artery. Several decisions taken in 2026 aim to cut transit times and costs. A first assessment.