Catalog
5 Dollars / 5 Piastres
| Issuer | Banque de l'Indo-Chine |
|---|---|
| Year | 1897-1900 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | A classical allegorical vignette at left centre presents a reclining Neptune figure holding a trident, surrounded by attendant figures in an Academic style engraving. The denomination is printed in both English and French — FIVE DOLLARS and CINQ PIASTRES — flanking a central dividing ornament, with bilingual payment obligations below each. The note bears the Saigon branch date of 5 October 1900 at upper centre, with serial number and branch letter in the upper corners and lower left, and two manuscript signature panels beneath the denomination text. |
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| Obverse lettering | DECRETS DU 21 JANVIER 1875 ET DU 20 FEVRIER 1888 BANQUE DE L'INDO-CHINE SAIGON, LE 5 OCTOBRE 1900 FIVE DOLLARS CINQ PIASTRES TO BE PAID ON DEMAND TO BEARER PAYABLES EN ESPECES AU PORTEUR LE DIRECTEUR UN ADMINISTRATEUR LE CAISSIER DE LA SUCCURSALE |
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| Comments |
The Banque de l'Indo-Chine was chartered in 1875 with the exclusive right to issue currency across French Indochina, and this late-19th-century issue belongs to a period when the bank was simultaneously operating in the Pacific territories — hence the dual denomination, with piastres for Indochina and dollars for the Établissements français de l'Océanie and New Caledonia. One note, two monetary systems, two colonial administrations.
Bramtot was a Prix de Rome laureate; Wullschleger engraved for the Banque de France. The pedigree of the production team reflects how seriously Paris treated colonial currency credibility at the time.