Catalog
10 francs Voltaire Billet scolaire
| Issuer | Banque de France |
|---|---|
| Year | |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 151 × 82 mm |
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| Obverse lettering | 10 BANQUE DE FRANCE 10 0340655756 DIX FRANCS LE CONTROLEUR GAL LE CAISSIER GAL Billet scolaire LE SECRETAIRE GAL 55756 PA-2-1965.P. G . 137 |
| Reverse description | At centre, a mirror-image vignette of the Voltaire portrait found on the obverse, reversed in orientation, set against a background illustration of the Château de Cirey, where Voltaire resided from 1733 to 1740. The denomination numeral '10' and the issuer title 'BANQUE DE FRANCE' appear at left and right, with the 'Billet scolaire' overprint and the full statutory anti-counterfeiting warning text occupying the lower portion of the design. |
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| Comments |
Billets scolaires were never legal tender — they were facsimile notes produced by the Banque de France specifically for classroom instruction, allowing students to handle and examine authentic-format paper money without the obvious complications of distributing real currency. The Voltaire 10 francs design was drawn from the genuine circulating note of the same denomination issued between 1963 and 1979.
These educational issues are frequently misidentified in collections, often catalogued incorrectly as cancelled or specimen notes. The word "SCOLAIRE" is printed across the face, but wear and poor storage have rendered it illegible on some survivors.