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20 Francs - Société Générale
| Issuer | Société Générale de Belgique |
|---|---|
| Year | 1915-1917 |
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| Currency | Franc (1832-2001) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Société Générale de Belgique (Société anonyme) 20 francs Le présent billet sera échangé, au gré du porteur, contre un billet de banque de même import de la Banque Nationale de Belgique au plus tard trois mois après la conclusion de la paix La loi punit le contrefacteur des travaux forcés. |
| Reverse description | The reverse is dominated by a dense guilloche underprint filling the entire field, with 'SOCIETE GENERALE DE BELGIQUE' in bold gothic lettering at the top and the Dutch denomination 'TWINTIG FRANK' in large display type at centre. Ornamental corner devices incorporating the monogram 'SB' flank the composition, and two signature lines for the Directeur-Schatkewaarder and the Gouverneur are printed below the central text block, with the Dutch penal warning enclosed in a panel at the foot. |
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| Comments |
The Société Générale de Belgique stepped into a monetary vacuum after Germany occupied Brussels in August 1914 and effectively paralyzed normal banking functions. These emergency notes were issued under German occupation authority — the Société Générale was designated as the official body for managing Belgian finances during the occupation, a role it accepted under considerable duress and one that would generate postwar controversy about collaboration.
The issuing period spanning 1915–1917 reflects sustained wartime necessity rather than a single emergency emission. Notes from the early part of that window circulated hard and show it.