France - Modern

Beginning in 1972 with the 10F Berlioz, the banknotes of France take a turn for the worse, artistically. The designs aren't as interesting, and the conversion from relief printing to offset lithography hasn't helped. Various security techniques are added to make the notes harder to counterfeit.

Banque de France

The third, and finally successful, French Central Bank is the Banque de France (BdF). It was formed by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1800 and marked the return to the Franc, based on value of gold and silver once again. BdF has provided financial oversight (often called the "bank of banks") for all of France's territories through the years, coordinating with the central banks listed below, and stabilizing exchange rates from French Francs to CFA, CFP and now Euros. The Banque de France is one of the few central banks that actually prints its own banknotes, with facilities in Chamalières, France.

B1009d face
B1009d face
B1009d (
  • F.66.4
  • P-151a
) 20 Francs Debussy
Claude Debussy, homage to his composition "The Sea"
  • Printer: BdF
  • 1983
  • 140 x 75mm
  • Sig 19

  • Watermark: Debussy
(F)
(B)
B1009d (
  • F.66.4
  • P-151a
) 20 Francs Debussy
  • 1983
  • Sig 19
  • W Block (replacement)
B1009l face
B1009l face
B1009l (
  • F.66bis
  • P-151d
) 20 Francs Debussy
  • 1991
  • Sig 20
  • Thread: Added security thread starting with Alphabet 27 in 1990
B1009q face
B1009q face
B1009q (
  • F.66ter.2
  • P-151i
) 20 Francs Debussy
  • 1997
  • Sig 21
  • Penal Code: New Penal code '...Articles 442-1 et 442-2' in 1994
B1010d face
B1010d face
B1010d (
  • F.67.4
  • P-152a
) 50 Francs Quentin de La Tour
Quentin de La Tour, Versailles; Hôtel de Ville at St. Quentin
  • Printer: BdF
  • 1979
  • 150 x 80mm
  • Sig 18

  • Watermark: De La Tour
(F)
B1011a face
B1011a face
B1011a (
  • F.68.1
  • P-153
) 100 Francs Delacroix
Self portrait of Delacroix and "Liberty Guiding the People"
  • Printer: BdF
  • 1978
  • 160 x 85mm
  • Sig 18
  • Three raised dots at left for the blind

  • Watermark: Delacroix
(F)
B1011i face
B1011i face
B1011i (
  • F.69.8
  • P-154b
) 100 Francs Delacroix
  • 1984
  • Sig 18
B1011q face
B1011q face
B1011q (
  • F.69bis.3
  • P-154f
) 100 Francs Delacroix
  • 1991
  • Sig 20
  • Goebel continuous (roll) printing as of 1990
B1011t face
B1011t face
B1011t (
  • F.69ter.2
  • P-154h
) 100 Francs Delacroix
  • 1995
  • Sig 21
  • Penal Code: New Penal code '...Articles 442-1 et 442-2' in 1994
B1012j face
B1012j face
B1012j (
  • F.70.10
  • P-155a
) 200 Francs Montesquieu
French author Montesquieu; Château de la Brède
  • Printer: BdF
  • ND (1990)
  • 172 x 92mm
  • Sig 20
  • Two raised dots at left for the blind

  • Watermark: Montesquieu
(F)
B1012m face
B1012m face
B1012m (
  • F.70/2bis
  • P-155f
) 200 Francs Montesquieu
  • ND (1994)
  • Penal Code: New Penal code '...Articles 442-1 et 442-2' in 1994
B1013f face
B1013f face
B1013f (
  • F.71.37
  • P-156f
) 500 Francs Pascal
Blaise Pascal, Eglise St. Jacques; Abbey at Port Royal, Paris
  • Printer: BdF
  • 11/5/1987
  • 180 x 97mm
  • Sig 23

  • Watermark: Pascal
(F)

New generation of computer designed banknotes

1992-1997 Issues

B1017b face
B1017b face
B1017b (
  • F.72.2
  • P-157b
) 50 Francs Saint-Exupéry
Aviator Antoine de Saint Exupéry and his plane, artwork from "Le Petit Prince"
  • Printer: BdF
  • 1993
  • 123 x 80mm
  • Sig 22

  • Microprint
  • Strap
  • Thread
  • UV: Sheep from 'Le Petit Prince'
  • Watermark: Saint-Exupéry
(F)
B1017g face
B1017g face
B1017g (
  • F.73
  • P-157Ad
) 50 Francs Saint-Exupéry
  • 1999
  • Sig 21
B1018a face
B1018a face
B1018a (
  • F.74
  • P-158a
) 100 Francs Cézanne
Paul Cezanne with paintings "La Mer à l'Estaque" and "Joueurs de Cartes" (green stylized figures); "Pommes et Biscuits"
  • Printer: BdF
  • 1997
  • 133 x 80mm
  • Sig 21

  • Microprint
  • Strap
  • Thread
  • UV: Silhouette of Mont Sainte-Victoire
  • Watermark: Cézanne
(F)
B1019b face
B1019b face
B1019b (
  • F.75
  • P-159b
) 200 Francs Eiffel
Engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel; Eiffel Tower with view along Champ de Mars at the time of the Universal Expo 1889
  • Printer: BdF
  • 1996
  • 143 x 80mm
  • Sig 21

  • Microprint
  • Strap
  • Thread
  • UV: Viaduct de Garabit
  • Watermark: Gustave Eiffel
(F)
B1020a face
B1020a face
B1020a (
  • F.76.1
  • P-160a
) 500 Francs Marie and Pierre Curie
Chemist and Physicists Marie and Pierre Curie
  • Printer: BdF
  • 1994
  • 153 x 80mm
  • Sig 22

  • Microprint
  • Strap
  • Thread
  • UV: Atomic Name, Number and Weight of Radium
  • Watermark: Marie Curie
(F)

Last update:

Web site, content and images © Dave Mills

jsLinkPrev jsLinkNext