Catalog
5 Francs
| Issuer | Banque de l'Indochine |
|---|---|
| Year | 1945 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Printed in dark blue, the obverse is based on the New Caledonia P-48 issue, with a central vignette of a seated woman wearing a wreath and holding a small statuette of Athena. A red oval overprint bears the legend NOUVELLES HÉBRIDES FRANCE LIBRE, incorporating a palm motif and the Cross of Lorraine, applied to authenticate this Free French wartime issue. Denomination and issuer inscriptions appear in the surrounding border panels. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | BANQUE DE L`INDOCHINE CINQ FRANCS NOUMEA (Translation: Bank of Indochina Five Francs Noumea) |
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| Comments |
Banque de l'Indochine's wartime production pipeline was shattered by the Japanese occupation of France's Asian territories, forcing an unlikely arrangement: the Commonwealth Bank of Australia's Note Printing Branch in Melbourne stepped in to produce French Indochinese currency. It was an extraordinary piece of Allied monetary improvisation, born from the same logistical desperation that scattered currency printing across four continents during the war years.
The Melbourne-printed 5 Francs notes were intended for reintroduction following liberation, though the accelerating collapse of French authority in Indochina complicated distribution from the outset.