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5 Livres LIBAN 1939
| Issuer | Banque de Syrie et du Grand-Liban |
|---|---|
| Year | 1939 |
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| Reference(s) | P#13 |
| Obverse description | The obverse is centred on an elaborate Moorish arch vignette executed in fine intaglio, set within a richly layered geometric underprint in green and pink with stylised arabesque and floral border ornamentation. A black overprint reading "LIBAN 1939" and the Arabic denomination "خمس ليرات" appear at centre above two manuscript signatures and a block of Arabic legal-tender text, while serial number and prefix panels occupy the upper corners with the numeral 5 rendered in green at upper left. Engraver credits "J. DEMARCQ FEC. L.J. SOULAS SC." appear in small letterpress at the lower margin. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | BANQUE DE SYRIE ET DU GRAND-LIBAN LIBAN CINQ LIVRES REMBOURSABLES AU PORTEUR EN CHEQUE SUR PARIS OU MARSEILLE A RAISON DE VINGT FRANCS PAR LIVRE J. DEMARCQ FEC. HOURRIEZ SC. |
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| Comments |
The Banque de Syrie et du Grand-Liban was a French-chartered institution operating under the mandate system, and by 1939 its days were effectively numbered — the mandate itself was being wound down politically, and the outbreak of war would accelerate the institutional rupture between Syria and Lebanon. This note was printed at the Banque de France's own workshops in Paris, a prestige arrangement that reflects the issuing bank's colonial-era relationship with French monetary infrastructure rather than any local printing capacity.
Soulas was among the more accomplished intaglio engravers working for the Banque de France in this period. Hourriez handled the reverse. The pairing was typical of how the BdF divided labor across complex multi-color intaglio jobs.