Catalog
10 000 Francs
| Issuer | Tromelin Island |
|---|---|
| Year | 2018 |
| Type | Fantasy banknote |
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| Obverse description | The left portion of the obverse carries a vignette of a whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus) set against a circular guilloche underprint, with a conch shell in the lower left corner. To the right, a large research or supply vessel is depicted in full colour, flanked in the upper right by the coat of arms of Île Tromelin bearing dolphins, a seabird, and a sea anchor. A vertical red security-style band runs through the centre inscribed 'ÎLE TROMELIN', with the date '2018' in a cartouche at its base. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents an aerial or cartographic view of Tromelin Island surrounded by ocean, with sharks in the surrounding waters. The coat of arms, composed of dolphins, sea anchors, and a seabird, appears alongside the territorial designation. A disclaimer legend in French occupies the lower portion of the note, affirming the non-legal-tender status of this collector issue. |
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| Comments |
Tromelin Island is a French-administered speck in the Indian Ocean with no permanent civilian population — just a meteorological station staffed by rotating personnel. It issues no legal tender. "Fantasy notes" attributed to it circulate among collectors as privately produced novelty items with no governmental authority behind them whatsoever, and this piece falls squarely into that category.
Polymer substrate and high denominations are common affectations of the genre, chosen to mimic modern central bank output. Not a banknote by any technical or legal definition.