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2 Francs
| Issuer | Trésor Colonial de la Martinique |
|---|---|
| Year | 1884 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | COLONIE DE LA MARTINIQUE TRÉSOR COLONIAL (Décret du 18 Août 1884) DEUX FRANCS La contre-valeur en espèces est déposée au Trésor. CLAVERIE . INV. PARIS. - Imp. Ve Éthiou Pérou. BESCHRER. SC. (Translation: Colony of Martinique Colonial Treasury (Decree August 18, 1884) Two Francs The cash equivalent is deposited in the Treasury.) |
| Reverse description | Printed entirely in green, the reverse mirrors the ornate botanical border of the obverse, with engraved vignettes of tropical trees and plants flanking the central panel. The large numeral 2 is set within an elaborate guilloche frame of scrollwork and foliate ornaments at centre. The principal inscriptions appear in mirror-image letterpress at top, with the cash guarantee legend repeated at the lower portion of the note. |
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| Comments |
The Trésor Colonial de la Martinique operated as a stopgap monetary authority for the island, issuing small-denomination paper well below what the major colonial banks would touch. This 2 Francs note from 1884 was printed by Imprimerie Veuve Éthiou Pérou in Paris — a firm whose name reflects the widow's succession of a well-established Parisian printing house, not uncommon in the trade at that period.
Louis Félix Beschrer's engraving work appears on several French colonial issues of this generation, often through plates commissioned centrally and adapted across territories. Jules-Justin Claverie handled the design. The P#3B designation suggests a variant within the series — likely a signature or minor typographic difference from P#3A.