Catalog
20 Francs
| Issuer | Banque Nationale de Belgique |
|---|---|
| Year | 1869-1878 |
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| Printer | National Bank of Belgium Printing Works, Brussels, Belgium (1851-2020) |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANQUE NATIONALE Bruxelles, le 22 Juin 1878. VINGT FRANCS PAYABLE À VUE LA LOI PUNIT LE CONTREFACTEUR DES TRAVAUX FORCÉS. (Translation: National Bank Brussels, June 22th., 1878. Twenty Francs Payable on sight The law punishes the counterfeitor forced labor.) |
| Reverse description | Printed entirely in blue intaglio, the reverse carries four allegorical putti arranged in pairs at the left and right, each group associated with emblems of agriculture and the arts. A central oval medallion at the top encloses a classical female portrait bust in profile, framed by a large ornate wreath cartouche at centre, with a decorative floral and fruit garland along the lower border. The engravers' credits — H. HENDRICKX. DEL. INV. and PANNEMAKER-DOMS. SC. — appear in small letterpress text at the lower left and right margins respectively. |
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| Comments |
Pannemaker is the name worth noting here. Adolphe-François Pannemaker was among the most accomplished wood engravers working in Brussels during the second half of the nineteenth century, contributing regularly to illustrated publications before his work crossed into security printing. The involvement of Albert Doms alongside him suggests a division of labor across the note's engraved elements — not uncommon when a single design demanded both fine portraiture and decorative border work at this level of intricacy.
The issue window spanning nearly a decade reflects the National Bank's conservative replacement cycle, not any production shortfall. Henri Hendrickx served the Bank as its primary in-house designer across multiple series during this period.