Depicts an official emblem of the Laurent Kabila regime: a mature male lion standing to the left amid grass, symbolizing strength and authority. Above the lion is the country’s name in French, denomination and the date of issue is placed below.

Kabila’s regime, which began in 1997 after he overthrew Mobutu Sese Seko, was characterized by efforts to rebuild the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) after decades of dictatorship. His government sought to restore national sovereignty, but faced internal conflict and external pressures, particularly during the Second Congo War.

Depicts a portrait of explorer Verney Lovett Cameron facing with full bread and mustache surrounded by his name and inscription in French meaning "Discovery of Congo" above, his birth, and death dates at left.

Verney Lovett Cameron (1844–1894) was a British explorer, naval officer, and writer best known for his extensive travels across Africa. He was the first European to successfully traverse equatorial Africa from east to west, completing a journey that began on the eastern coast of Tanzania in 1873 and ending on the Atlantic coast in Angola in 1875. Cameron was initially sent by the Royal Geographical Society to aid the search for explorer David Livingstone, but after Learning of Livingstone's death, he continued to explore and map the interior of Africa, documenting important geographical and cultural information. His book, Across Africa (1877), detailed his adventures and contributed to the growing knowledge of Africa during the colonial period. Cameron was also a strong advocate for the abolition of the East African slave trade.