| Descripción del anverso |
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. |
| Leyenda del anverso |
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| Descripción del reverso |
Blue intaglio print dominated by a large central oval guilloche panel filled with intricate lathe-work, framed by a laurel border. To the left, a seated male figure in classical armor rests beside a cannon wheel, while to the right a bearded male figure in antique dress leans on a ledge; a small circular portrait medallion of a female head appears at the top center above the oval. The composition is unlettered, relying entirely on the elaborate geometric underprint and flanking allegorical vignettes for its decorative effect. |
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| Tipo de protección |
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| Descripción de la protección |
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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.