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5 Francs - Bougainville
| Issuer | Caisse Centrale de la France d'Outre-Mer |
|---|---|
| Year | 1947-1949 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Multicolour note based on the French Equatorial Africa P#20B issue, overprinted with 'MARTINIQUE' in the margins. A vignette of the sailing frigate La Boudeuse appears at left, with a portrait of the explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville at right. The issuing authority 'CAISSE CENTRALE DE LA FRANCE D'OUTRE-MER' and denomination 'CINQ FRANCS' are inscribed across the face, with engraver and designer credits below. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | 5 MARTINIQUE 5 CAISSE CENTRALE DE LA FRANCE D`OUTRE-MER MARTINIQUE MARTINIQUE L`ARTICLE 139 DU CODE PÉNAL PUNIT DES TRAVAUX FORCÉS CEUX QUI AURONT CONTREFAIT OU FALSIFIÉ LES BILLETS DE BANQUES AUTORISÉES PAR LA LOI G. A. KLEIN FEC. A. CHAPON SC. |
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| Comments |
The Caisse Centrale de la France d'Outre-Mer was established in 1944 to manage currency across French overseas territories, replacing the colonial-era issuing banks that had operated independently before the war. This 5 Francs note, part of the broader Bougainville series named after the eighteenth-century French explorer and navigator, circulated across multiple territories simultaneously — the same design served French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion, and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, among others.
Beltrand and Chapon were both accomplished Banque de France engravers. The low face value meant heavy circulation, and surviving examples in decent condition are harder to find than the higher denominations from the same series.