10 Francs - Mineur type 1941

Introduced in 1941 under the Vichy administration, this note continued circulating well past the Liberation — the date range alone tells the story of French monetary inertia. The Mineur type was one of several low-denomination notes kept in production simply because replacing the entire small-note supply during and immediately after occupation was neither practical nor a priority for the Banque de France.

The replacement notes carrying block letter W, issued between 1947 and 1949 under the Rousseau & Gargam signature pairing, are the most sought-after pieces in the series. Block letter W replacements for this type are genuinely scarce in any grade.