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1000 Francs Assignat
| Issuer | République Française (French Revolutionary Government) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1795 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | The face is printed in red on white paper within a rectangular typographic border, with the header cartouche reading RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE and the denomination 1000 in each upper corner flanked by small profile portrait medallions. Two classical column vignettes with draped female figures frame the central text block, which carries the full assignat legend in letterpress. The lower margin bears two panel inscriptions regarding the denunciator's reward and the death penalty for counterfeiting, with the série and numéro handwritten below the main text block. |
|---|---|
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| Protection description | Watermark reading 1000 F FRENCH REPUBLIC LIBERTE EGALITE, visible in the paper stock. |
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| Comments |
By the time this 1000 Francs assignat was issued in Year III of the Republic, the assignat system was in terminal collapse. Originally backed by confiscated Church and émigré properties, the currency had been printed in such quantities that inflation had become catastrophic — by early 1796 the assignat had lost over 99% of its face value, and the entire series was formally abolished in February of that year.
Dupré, better known as the engraver of the Liberté coinage, and Gatteaux both contributed to the plate work. The watermark was among the few anti-counterfeiting measures applied, though forgery was rampant throughout the assignat period regardless.