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20 Francs
| Issuer | Banque Nationale de Belgique |
|---|---|
| Year | 1879-1892 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 20 Francs (20 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 | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Printed entirely in blue, the reverse is dominated by a central oval vignette enclosing the denomination text, surrounded by a wreath of laurel and floral ornaments. Four allegorical putti are positioned at the corners — two at left engaged with agricultural symbols including wheat sheaves, and two at right with a cornucopia and harvest motifs — all set within a finely engraved geometric border. The designer and engravers' credits appear in the lower corners: "H. HENDRICKX DEL. INV." at lower left and "PANNEMAKER-DOMS SC." at lower right. |
| Reverse lettering | VINGT FRANCS BANQUE NATIONALE DE BELGIQUE PAYABLE À VUE H. HENDRICKX DEL. INV. PANNEMAKER-DOMS SC. |
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| Comments |
Pannemaker's involvement here is worth noting — he was among the most technically accomplished wood engravers working in Belgium during the second half of the nineteenth century, better known for his reproductions of paintings for illustrated publications than for banknote work. His contribution to this series sits somewhat outside his usual output.
The Banque Nationale de Belgique was still a relatively young institution when this series entered circulation, having been established only in 1850. The 1870s and 1880s were a period of genuine monetary pressure in Belgium, with public confidence in paper instruments remaining fragile following earlier instability. A twenty-franc denomination sat at a practical threshold — high enough for commercial use, low enough to move through retail hands.
Henri Hendrickx served as the Bank's in-house designer across several note series during this period.