France - Treasury

Issued by a variety of sources during WWI and WWII, these banknotes were printed to support French nationals and Allied forces who, for various reasons, needed the availability of Francs while they were in war zones, occupied territories, etc.

Trésorerie aux Armées

In 1917, the french Army Treasury issued these "vouchers" to be used in France's militarized areas, in order to remove all use of silver coinage so that it didn't get into enemy hands. They were also exchanged for locally-issued emergency money in liberated towns. The vouchers had a limited value that expired after the war.

1917-1919

B1101a (
  • P-M1
  • VF.1
) 50 Centimes Blue. Soldier Being Welcomed Home
"...de la 2e annee qui suivra..." on back
  • ND (1917)
  • 100 x 65mm
  • Sig 1

  • Watermark: Bee pattern
(F)
B1102a (
  • P-M2
  • VF.3
) 1 Franc Lt. Brown. Soldier Being Welcomed Home
"...de la 2e annee qui suivra..." on back
  • ND (1917)
  • 105 x 65mm
  • Sig 1

  • Watermark: Bee pattern
(F)
B1103a face
B1103a face
B1103a (
  • P-M3
  • VF.5.1
) 2 Francs Lilac. Soldier Being Welcomed Home
"...de la 2e annee qui suivra..." on back
  • ND (1917)
  • 110 x 70mm
  • Sig 1

  • Watermark: Bee pattern
(F)
B1104a face
B1104a face
B1104a (
  • P-M4
  • VF.2.10
) 50 Centimes Blue. Soldier Being Welcomed Home
"...de la 4e annee qui suivra..." on back
  • ND (1919)
  • 100 x 65mm
  • Sig 1

  • Watermark: Bee pattern
(F)
B1105a face
B1105a face
B1105a (
  • P-M5
  • VF.4.09
) 1 Franc Lt. Brown. Soldier Being Welcomed Home
"...de la 4e annee qui suivra..." on back
  • ND (1919)
  • 105 x 65mm
  • Sig 1

  • Watermark: Bee pattern
(F)

Trésor Central du Comité Français de Libération Nationale

The French Committee of National Liberation (Fr. Comité Français de Libération Nationale) was a provisional government of Free France formed by the French generals Henri Giraud and Charles de Gaulle to coordinate the campaign to liberate France from Nazi Germany during World War II. The committee directly challenged the legitimacy of the Vichy regime and unified all the French forces that fought against the Nazis and collaborators. It functioned as a provisional government for Algeria (then a part of metropolitan France) and the liberated parts of the colonial empire. Later it evolved into the Provisional Government of the French Republic, under the premiership of Charles de Gaulle.

After liberating Corsica On October 4, 1943, the French Treasury had 500F, 1000F and 5000F notes created specifically for use in the region, and recalled all French notes of those denominations.

1943-1945

B1201a face
B1201a face
B1201a (
  • P-105a
  • VF.6.1
) 100 Francs Marianne
  • Printer: BWC
  • 1943
  • 155 x 100mm
  • Sig 2
(F)

Trésor Français

The three denominations below were printed in England on order of the French Treasury for the compulsory exchange of banknotes. They were put into circulation starting June 4, 1945.

1945

B1202a (
  • P-108
  • VF.7
) 1000 Francs Phoenix Rising, War destruction scene
  • Printer: BWC
  • 1943
  • 185 x 112mm
  • Sig 2
  • unreleased
(F)
B1203a (
  • P-110
  • VF.8
) 5000 Francs Marianne with flag and torch
  • Printer: BWC
  • 1943
  • 185 x 112mm
  • Sig 2
  • unreleased
(F)
B1207a face
B1207a face
B1207a (
  • P-106
  • VF.11.1
) 500 Francs Marianne
  • Printer: TDLR
  • 1943
  • 138 x 78mm
(F)
B1208a (
  • P-107
  • VF.12
) 1000 Francs Marianne
  • Printer: Bank of England Works
  • 1945
  • Sig 2
  • Prefix A, B, C
B1208b face
B1208b face
B1208b (
  • P-107
  • VF.13.1
) 1000 Francs Marianne
  • Printer: TDLR
  • 1945
  • 151 x 85mm
  • Sig 2
  • Thick numerals
  • Prefix D, E, H, J
(F)
B1209a (
  • P-109
  • VF.14
) 5000 Francs Marianne
  • Printer: TDLR
  • 1943
  • 155 x 98mm
  • Sig 2

1945 Provisional Issue

B1204a (
  • P-111
  • VF.9
) 500 Francs Children, Algerian and Camel
  • Printer: BdF
  • ND (1945)
  • 196 x 118mm

(F)
B1205a (
  • P-112
  • VF.10
) 1000 Francs Man, woman and child on farm
  • Printer: BdF
  • ND (1945)
  • 193 x 130mm

(F)
(B)
B1206a (
  • P-113
) 5000 Francs Muslim Woman, Allegorial Woman
Moorish women with vases
  • Printer: BdF
  • 2/3/1942

Gouvernement Provisoire de la Republique Française

This series of banknotes was put into circulation in 1944 by the treasury services of the allied armies in the regions liberated by the Normandy landings (June 6) and of Provence (August 15). These denominations became legal tender by an order of the Provisional Government of the Republique Française dated August 28, 1944.

All the values in​ this first series were printed in the United States.

First Issue, 1944

B1301a face
B1301a face
B1301a (
  • P-114a
  • VF.16.1
) 2 Francs Flag
  • Printer: Forbes
  • 1944
  • 78 x 67mm
B1301a face
B1301a face
B1301a (
  • P-114b
  • VF.16.2
) 2 Francs Flag
  • 1944
  • Block 2
B1302a face
B1302a face
B1302a (
  • P-115a
  • VF.17.1
) 5 Francs Flag
  • Printer: Forbes
  • 1944
  • 78 x 67mm
B1303a face
B1303a face
B1303a (
  • P-116a
  • VF.18.1
) 10 Francs Flag
  • Printer: Forbes
  • 1944
  • 78 x 67mm
B1304a face
B1304a face
B1304a (
  • P-117a
  • VF.19.1
) 50 Francs Flag
  • Printer: Forbes
  • 1944
  • 156 x 66mm
B1305a face
B1305a face
B1305a (
  • P-118a
  • VF.20.1
) 100 Francs Flag
  • Printer: Forbes
  • 1944
  • 156 x 66mm
B1306a face
B1306a face
B1306a (
  • P-119a
  • VF.21.1
) 500 Francs Flag
  • Printer: Forbes
  • 1944
  • 156 x 66mm
B1307a (
  • P-120a
  • VF.22.1
) 1000 Francs Flag
  • Printer: Forbes
  • 1944
  • 156 x 66mm
B1308a (
  • P-121
  • VF.23.1
) 1000 Francs Flag
  • Printer: Forbes
  • 1944
  • 156 x 66mm
  • Not issued

Second Issue, 1945

Provisional French Franc Currency

B1309a face
B1309a face
B1309a (
  • P-122a
  • VF.24.1
) 50 Francs France
  • Printer: Forbes
  • 1945
  • 156 x 66mm
B1310a face
B1310a face
B1310a (
  • P-123c
  • VF.25.6
) 100 Francs France
  • Printer: Forbes
  • 1945
  • 156 x 66mm
  • Block 6
B1311a (
  • P-124a
  • VF.26.1
) 500 Francs France
  • Printer: Forbes
  • 1945
  • 156 x 66mm
B1312a (
  • P-125
  • VF.27.1
) 1000 Francs France
  • Printer: Forbes
  • 1945
  • 156 x 66mm
B1313a (
  • P-126
  • VF.28.1
) 5000 Francs France
  • Printer: Forbes
  • 1945
  • 156 x 66mm

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