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5 Francs
| Issuer | Banque de la Guadeloupe |
|---|---|
| Year | 1942 |
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| Printer | E. A. Wright Bank Note Company, Philadelphia, United States (1872-1964) |
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| Obverse description | Black intaglio on yellow guilloche underprint. Central vignette of Christopher Columbus in bust portrait, captioned CHRISTOPHE COLOMB below. The denomination numeral 5 appears at left, with CINQ FRANCS in two lines at right; the bank title BANQUE DE LA GUADELOUPE arches across the top, and the legend PAYABLES EN ESPÈCES A VUE AU PORTEUR runs along the lower border. Two manuscript signatures appear below the denomination, attributed to LE DIRECTEUR at left and LE CAISSIER at right, with the printer's imprint E. A. WRIGHT BANK NOTE CO., PHILA. at the bottom margin. |
|---|---|
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| Signature(s) | "Directeur" Devineau "Directeur" Boudin |
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| Comments |
The Banque de la Guadeloupe turned to E. A. Wright in Philadelphia because the fall of France in 1940 severed the colony's traditional printing arrangements with metropolitan firms. Wright, better known for its engraved securities and commercial stationery, was an unusual choice for a colonial currency issuer — but American printers were among the few accessible options for French overseas territories that had rallied to de Gaulle or remained under Vichy-aligned administrations navigating wartime supply constraints.
The dual "Directeur" signature format — both Devineau and Boudin signing in the same capacity — reflects the collegial directorship structure of the bank at the time, not a co-signatory control mechanism.