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1000 Francs Cérès and Mercure
| Issuer | Banque de France |
|---|---|
| Year | 1927-1937 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | CH. WALHAIN FEC E. DELOCHE SC. BANQUE DE FRANCE MILLE FRANCS L'ARTICLE 139 DU CODE PENAL PUNIT DES TRAVAUX FORCES A PERPETUITE CEUX QUI AURONT CONTREFAIT OU FALSIFIE DES BILLETS DE BANQUES AUTORISES PAR LA LOI, AINSI QUE CEUX QUI AURONT FAIT USAGE DE CES BILLETS CONTREFAITS OU FALSIFIES. CEUX QUI LES AURONT INTRODUITS EN FRANCE SERONT PUNIS DE LA MEME PEINE. 1000 | 1000 |
| Reverse description | The central vignette presents an allegorical figure of Fortune, engraved with classical formality. To the right, a decorative painter is shown alongside a portrait of Louis Pasteur, while to the left a blacksmith appears alongside a portrait of André Marie Ampère, together symbolizing the arts, sciences, and industry of France. The designer and engraver credits appear in small lettering, flanking the denomination numerals within a guilloche border. |
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| Comments |
One of the longest-running high-denomination issues in interwar France, this note circulated across a decade that included the collapse of the franc's gold parity, the Great Depression, and sustained political instability under successive short-lived governments. The Banque de France's in-house workshops handled all production, which gave the institution tight control over security but also meant any disruption to the Paris operation directly affected supply. Walhain designed and Deloche engraved what became a widely-recognized workhorse of large transactions — mercantile, notarial, real estate.
Three distinct signature combinations track the note's administrative history, reflecting changes in the Directorate rather than any redesign. The Emmery/Platet/Strohl combination is the earliest and least frequently encountered.