Do not confuse the letter in the "Block Number" with the country code letter. The block number is part of a counting formula which, combined with the control number, will provide confirmation of the serial number. The control number will have from three to six digits (depending on the denomination and year of issue) which are always the last 3-6 digits of the serial number. Signature combinations 1-13 appear on the notes of this series (although not every denomination is found with each combination). See below for information on this particular note.

The 1000 francs note has always been the "workhorse" denomination in West and Central Africa. Over 80 different varieties of this 1959-79 design are confirmed, ranging from very common ($20 for UNC) to several for which only one example is known in collector hands. This 1959 Mali issue is probably the most valuable; in XF it currently catalogs at about $250 but should easily command over twice that amount.