5 Francs

The Banque du Congo Belge was established in 1909, just one year after the Belgian state took formal control of the Congo from Leopold II's privately held regime. This note — issued across a span that runs straight through World War One — reflects a period when the colony's monetary supply was perpetually strained. Waterlow & Sons handled the printing in London, though shipment delays during wartime created genuine gaps in circulation availability in the colony.

The P#4B designation distinguishes this from earlier variants in the series, typically by signature combination. Worth confirming against the specific signatories before cataloging further.