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20 Francs - Debussy type 1980 uniface
| Issuer | Banque de France |
|---|---|
| Year | 1980-1991 |
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| Designer(s) | Bernard Taurelle |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | This is a uniface trial: the reverse is unprinted, presenting a plain white surface. Visible at the right edge is a watermark vignette of Debussy's portrait in three-quarter view, visible through the paper stock as an integral security element. |
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| Protection type | Watermark |
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| Comments |
The Debussy 20 Francs ran for over a decade — one of the longer lifespans for a postwar French note of this denomination — before being discontinued in 1991 ahead of the franc's eventual absorption into the euro. Taurelle and Jubert had collaborated previously for the Banque de France, and the engraving quality here is characteristic of the Institut de Gravure's work during this period, when intaglio craft at the BdF was still given serious institutional priority.
"Uniface" in the catalog designation is misleading to the uninitiated — both sides carry printed elements, but the term refers to the single-sided intaglio application, with the reverse produced by a different printing pass. It's a technical distinction in the production sequence, not an error or incomplete printing.