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200 Francs Eiffel, type 1995
| Issuer | Banque de France |
|---|---|
| Year | 1995-1999 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | New franc (1960-2001) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | At left center, an intaglio portrait of engineer and industrialist Gustave Eiffel (1832–1923) set against a vignette of the Garabit viaduct; intricate guilloche underprint in warm ochre and brown tones frames the composition, with a stylized geometric rendering of the Eiffel Tower structure occupying the lower portion of the note. The denomination and issuer inscriptions appear in letterpress at upper and lower margins, complementing the highly detailed architectural imagery. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The central vignette presents a panoramic view of the Eiffel Tower and the Champ-de-Mars as seen during the Universal Exhibition of 1889, with the dome of the Palais des Beaux-Arts visible in the background; an abstract, stylized representation of the Tower's iron latticework extends across the note in the underprint. The composition is rendered in cool blue-green tones with fine guilloche patterning in the margins. |
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| Comments |
The 200 Francs Eiffel was the last new denomination introduced by the Banque de France before the franc's absorption into the euro — a practical response to inflation having eroded the purchasing power of the 100 Franc note rather than any commemorative impulse. Roger Pfund, the Geneva-based graphic designer, brought an unusually bold typographic sensibility to the series, departing from the engraved academic style that had dominated French banknote design for generations.
Four distinct signature combinations exist across the 1995–1999 run, making date and signature matching essential for serious cataloguing. The note was printed at Chamalières throughout its entire production life.