Catalog
1.000 Francs
| Issuer | Banque Nationale de Belgique |
|---|---|
| Year | 1908 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Rectangular |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Blue intaglio print on cream paper, with two allegorical female figures flanking a central cartouche; the left figure holds a lance and the right figure reclines with an anchor, both rendered in a classical engraved style. The central panel bears the inscription "BANQUE NATIONALE" at the top, the date "Bruxelles, le 18 Avril 1908," and the large denomination legend "MILLE FRANCS" in bold letterpress, with "PAYABLES A VUE" beneath. Serial number and alphanumeric check letters appear in the upper corners, with two manuscript signatures below the central text reserved for Le Trésorier and Le Gouverneur. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANQUE NATIONALE MILLE FRANCS PAYABLES A VUE Bruxelles, le 18 Avril 1908 Le Trésorier Le Gouverneur |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
Belgium's 1908 1.000 Francs issue predates the country's First World War occupation by only six years, and notes from this series found themselves at the center of a remarkable monetary problem: the German military administration, after occupying Belgium in 1914, did not immediately suppress Belgian banknotes but instead pressured the Banque Nationale to continue issuing currency to fund occupation costs. Pre-war high-denomination notes like this one were subsequently absorbed into that coercive financing mechanism.
Pick 72A distinguishes itself from the broader 72 series through signature combination — a detail that matters more than it might appear, since changeovers in signatory pairs at the Banque Nationale typically correspond to specific directorial appointments rather than arbitrary print runs.