Ten Francs Silver 2003 Historical Cars - Maybach W3, Coin from Congo, Democratic Republic of the - detailed information

The Democratic Republic of the Congo normally uses banknotes for circulation, and does not issue coins in the Congolese Franc currency. However, the country has authorised some foreign mints to issue commemorative and bullion coins under its jurisdiction.

Most of them are in standard bullion sizes, but some are not. CIT issued a series of silver 10 Francs and Five Francs in their own format, in 25 to 27 grams of silver. The coins are considered "Non-Circulating Legal Tender" (NCLT) and not bullion because they are issued at prices higher than their bullion value and are targeted at collectors who appreciate them for their artistic or sentimental value, and not at investors in precious metals.

This coin is part of the Historical Cars collection, and features the Maybach W3.

This model was the first car designed and manufactured by Maybach after having manufactured motors for the Zeppelin air ships. The know-how was built into the 5,8 litre 6 cylinder serial motor with 72 PS and with two different gearing units - one for steep roads, the other one for normal driving. The price of 24,000 German Marks for this car implied the luxury of its design and construction.