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5 Francs
| Issuer | Banque Nationale de Belgique |
|---|---|
| Year | 1914-1919 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANQUE NATIONALE DE BELGIQUE / 5 FRANCS / PAYABLES A VUE / Le Trésorier, / Le Gouverneur, / LA LOI PUNIT LE CONTREFACTEUR DES TRAVAUX FORCÉS / H. HENDRICKX DEL. INV. ALBERT DOMS SC. |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | NATIONALE BANK VAN BELGIE / 5 VIJF FRANK 5 / BETAALBAAR OP ZICHT / DE NAMAKER WORDT DOOR DE WET MET DWANGARBEID GESTRAFT |
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| Comments |
Belgium's wartime occupation by Germany from August 1914 created an immediate problem for the Banque Nationale: German military authorities aggressively withdrew gold and large-denomination notes, leaving the civilian population starved of small change. These lower-denomination francs were a deliberate countermeasure, pushed into circulation to keep everyday commerce functioning under occupation. The date range spans the entirety of the German occupation and beyond, reflecting continuous reissue rather than a single print run.
Hendrickx and Doms were both Brussels-based, and the note was produced domestically — unusual given that Belgian security printing often relied on foreign firms even in peacetime. Wartime necessity made that impossible.