Catalog
5 Francs
| Issuer | Afrique Française Libre |
|---|---|
| Year | 1941 |
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| Printer | Bradbury Wilkinson and Company, United Kingdom (1856-1990) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 5 | AFRIQUE FRANÇAISE LIBRE POUR LE CONSEIL DE DÉFENSE LE DIRECTEUR FINANCIER CINQ FRANCS (Translation: Free French Africa Five Francs) |
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| Protection type | Watermark |
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| Comments |
Afrique Française Libre was the monetary authority established in 1941 to serve the Free French territories in central and equatorial Africa — the colonies that had rallied to de Gaulle after the fall of France in 1940. Issuing a distinct currency was as much a political act as an administrative one, drawing a clear line between the Vichy-controlled Banque de l'Afrique Occidentale and the territories that had refused to follow.
Bradbury Wilkinson printed the series in London under wartime conditions. The AFL currency series was short-lived; by 1944 the issuing authority had been absorbed into the Caisse Centrale de la France d'Outre-Mer, making the entire P#1–8 run a product of just a few chaotic years.