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25 Francs Porto-Novo
| Issuer | Banque de l'Afrique Occidentale |
|---|---|
| Year | 1920-1923 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Central vignette composed of a tropical landscape with an elephant at lower left beneath a palm tree and a second elephant at lower right beneath a large baobab, framing an open area with a hexagonal cut-out at centre and a river scene with a sailing vessel in the middle distance. The denomination "Vingt-Cinq Francs" is printed in large letterpress type across the upper centre, below the bank title "BANQUE DE L'AFRIQUE OCCIDENTALE", with the place of issue "PORTO-NOVO" and date centred between two manuscript signature panels. Serial numbers appear in the upper and lower margins, with ornamental guilloche cornerpieces and the denomination numeral "25" repeated at each corner. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Intricate geometric and arabesque border design in grey-blue, with a central panel of interlaced strapwork enclosing a hexagonal void. Arabic script inscriptions appear in two columns flanking the central motif, repeating the bank name, place of issue, denomination, and payment clause. Four elaborate corner medallions composed of geometric latticework complete the ornamental layout, with the engraver's signature "Georges DUVAL . fecit." at lower left. |
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| Comments |
The Banque de l'Afrique Occidentale operated as a private commercial bank holding the note-issuing concession for French West Africa, not a central bank in any modern sense — its shareholders were Parisian financiers, and the colonial administration had limited control over its monetary policy. The Porto-Novo designation placed this note within the Dahomey branch network, one of several regional payment points that differentiated circulation zones across the federation.
Bellery-Desfontaines was primarily an illustrator and poster artist, an unusual choice for banknote design work. The engraving fell to the Florian brothers, Ernest and Frédéric, both employed at the Banque de France's own printing workshops — which explains the Paris production despite the colonial issuer.