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25 Francs
| Issuer | Banque de la Martinique |
|---|---|
| Year | 1930-1945 |
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| Printer | Banque de France, France |
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| Obverse description | Multicolour intaglio print centred on a female allegorical figure wearing a floral wreath, set against a decorative background of drapery and tropical fruit motifs along the lower border. The bank title and denomination are rendered in bold letterpress, with engraver and designer credits in the lower corners. A counterfeiting warning under Article 139 of the Penal Code runs in fine print along the bottom margin; three distinct signature varieties are recorded for this type. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Multicolour intaglio scenic vignette engraved by Hourriez after a composition by Cl. Serveau, presenting a tropical bay enclosed by palm trees and dense foliage, with a steam vessel moored at the left shore and distant mountains receding into a pale sky. The denomination numeral "25" appears in blue within an ornate cartouche at the upper right, while the bank title occupies a decorative panel at the bottom centre. Artist credits are inscribed in the lower corners. |
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| Comments |
The Banque de la Martinique was not a central bank in any modern sense — it operated under a colonial charter and its notes circulated alongside metropolitan French currency, occupying an awkward legal position that became genuinely dangerous after 1940. When Vichy authority was established over Martinique under Admiral Robert, the island was effectively blockaded by Allied forces, cutting off resupply from France. Notes already in circulation had to stretch further and longer than intended, and the 1930 printing ran well into the war years by necessity rather than design.
Jules Piel's engraving work for the Banque de France was consistently fine, and this note reflects that standard. Serveau designed widely for French colonial issues during this period.