Catalog
1000 Francs
| Issuer | Banque Nationale de Belgique |
|---|---|
| Year | 1853 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1000 Francs (1000 BEF) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Blue intaglio print on white paper. Allegorical vignettes of Industry at left and Trade at right flank the central text panel, with the Royal Arms of Belgium at bottom center. Two circular official stamps are visible at the lateral margins, one in red and one in black. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A mirror image of the obverse design printed in blue, with an overall guilloche underprint in light red providing the primary security background across the entire surface. |
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| Comments |
The Banque Nationale de Belgique was itself only founded in 1850, making this 1853 note among the earliest high-denomination issues the institution ever produced. Joseph-Pierre Braemt was the principal engraver at the Brussels Mint — his involvement here reflects the close institutional relationship between the Mint and the newly established bank during its formative years, when Belgium lacked a mature private bank-note printing trade and drew on whatever skilled engravers the state could supply.
At 1000 Francs, this was a note for wholesale merchants, notaries, and large commercial transactions — not everyday circulation. Survival rate is accordingly low; notes of this value were typically retired quickly once settled.