5 Francs

The Banque de l'Afrique Occidentale notes of this period occupy an awkward political moment: issued under the authority of a French colonial bank while France itself was under German occupation, their legitimacy depended entirely on which side of the Vichy-Free France divide the issuing territory fell on. French West Africa remained under Vichy administration until late 1942, meaning notes produced in this run were circulating in a currency zone whose political alignment had only recently and violently shifted.

The Banque de France handled the printing in Paris, a detail worth noting given that Paris was occupied territory at the time of production.