5 Francs - Bougainville

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.