1000 Francs

The Bank of Algeria was established in 1851 as a private institution under French charter, modeled closely on the Banque de France — the same parent organization that supplied engravers, plate designs, and operational precedents. The 1870 date places this note squarely in one of the most turbulent years in French history: the Franco-Prussian War, the fall of Napoleon III at Sedan, and the subsequent Paris Commune all unfolded between July 1870 and May 1871, each event sending shockwaves through French colonial financial institutions.

At the 1,000 franc denomination, this was not a note that passed through many hands. High-value colonial paper of this period circulated almost exclusively between merchants, government agents, and banking counterparties.