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20 Francs - Debussy type 1980
| Issuer | Banque de France |
|---|---|
| Year | 1980-1989 |
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| In circulation to | 17 February 2012 |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Banque de France Vingt Francs Claude Debussy 20 (Translation: Bank of France Twenty Francs Claude Debussy 20) |
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| Reverse lettering | Banque de France 20 L'ARTICLE 139 DU CODE PÉNAL PUNIT DE LA RÉCLUSION CRIMINELLE A PERPETUITE CEUX QUI AURONT CONTREFAIT OU FALSIFIE LES BILLETS DE BANQUE AUTORISÉS 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 MÊME PEINE. (Translation: Bank of France 20 Article 139 of the Penal Code punishes with life imprisonment those who counterfeit or falsify banknotes authorized by the law, also those who pass counterfeit or falsified notes. Those who introduce them into France will receive the same punishment.) |
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| Comments |
The Debussy 20 Francs ran for nearly a decade without design modification — unusual longevity for a Banque de France circulating note of this denomination, which typically cycled more frequently. Taurelle's design was engraved by two separate hands, Jubert on the obverse and Hérouard on the reverse, a division of labor standard at the Imprimerie de la Banque de France but one that occasionally produces subtle tonal inconsistencies between faces.
By the mid-1980s, the 20 Franc note was under pressure from the 20 Franc coin series, which progressively displaced it in everyday transactions. Notes from the final years of the run show heavier wear patterns than earlier printings precisely because fewer were being kept and more were cycling rapidly through commerce before withdrawal.