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25 Francs type 1870
| Issuer | Banque de France |
|---|---|
| Year | 1870-1873 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Central vignette of a seated allegorical female figure amid architectural and floral intaglio ornaments, flanked by two oval medallions bearing legal warning text. The denomination VINGT-CINQ FRANCS is printed in large letterpress across the centre, with BANQUE DE FRANCE in a ribbon cartouche at top. Issue date, serial number, and two manuscript signatures of the Caissier Principal and Secrétaire appear below the central vignette. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANQUE DE FRANCE VINGT-CINQ FRANCS Le Caissier Principal Le Secrétaire |
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| Comments |
This short-lived type was introduced in direct response to the Franco-Prussian War and the financial disruption that followed the siege of Paris. The Banque de France needed smaller-denomination paper to replace specie that had vanished from circulation almost overnight — hoarded, melted, or simply gone. The 25 Francs filled a gap that had not previously required a banknote at all.
Chazal designed and Maurand engraved a significant portion of the Banque de France's 19th-century output, making this something of a house collaboration. The type was retired by 1873 as metallic circulation partially recovered.