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20 Francs type 1871
| Issuer | Banque de France |
|---|---|
| Year | 1870-1873 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Blue letterpress and intaglio print. A large central medallion frames a bust-length portrait of an allegorical female figure wearing a laurel wreath, inscribed BANQUE DE FRANCE across the top of the roundel. Numeral 20 appears in each corner, and two oval text panels at left and right reproduce the legal counterfeiting penalty under Article 139 of the Penal Code. |
| Reverse lettering | 20 20 BANQUE DE FRANCE 20 20 C.C. DEL. C.M. SC. |
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| Comments |
This 20 Francs type was introduced during one of the most turbulent stretches in modern French history — the Franco-Prussian War, the fall of the Second Empire, the siege of Paris, and the Commune uprising all fell within or immediately preceded its short production window. The Banque de France itself came under extraordinary pressure during this period, suspending specie payments in August 1870 as Prussian forces advanced; the note circulated in an economy where metallic coin had effectively vanished from daily commerce.
Chazal's design was engraved by Charles Maurand, a printmaker better known for his reproductive work in the illustrated press. The combination was competent but not especially refined by the bank's own standards, which is partly why this type was retired relatively quickly once stability returned.