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20 Francs
| Issuer | Banque d'État du Maroc |
|---|---|
| Year | 1929-1945 |
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| Composition | Paper |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is dominated by a central vignette of the Koutoubia Mosque minaret in Marrakech, rendered in fine intaglio engraving against a lightly worked landscape background, flanked by two circular guilloche rosettes. The bank title BANQUE D'ÉTAT DU MAROC arches across the top, with the denomination expressed in both French (VINGT FRANCS) and numerals (20 FRANCS) in large letterpress across the lower half. A date panel is centered below the vignette, with serial number and prefix printed in the upper and lower margins. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is printed entirely in Arabic script on a dense arabesque underprint of interlaced geometric and floral motifs in brown and olive tones, consistent with traditional Moroccan decorative arts. The bank title البنك المخزني للمغرب and the denomination عشرون فرنكا appear in the upper central panel, with three signature panels and corresponding Arabic titles arranged across the middle field. The numeral 20 is set in the lower left corner, with an Arabic legal warning text in the lower right panel, all framed by a continuous ornamental border. |
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| Comments |
The Banque d'État du Maroc was a peculiar institution — nominally multinational under the 1906 Act of Algeciras, yet effectively a French colonial instrument from its founding. This 20 Francs note spans a printing window that runs straight through the Second World War, meaning later issues from this series circulated in a Morocco that was nominally under Vichy authority after 1940 — a complication that affected currency confidence and informal exchange rates across the Protectorate.
Jouenne was among the more accomplished intaglio engravers working for the Banque de France in the interwar period, and Duval's design commissions for colonial issues were a regular part of the Paris atelier's output during this period.