Catalog
50 Francs
| Issuer | Banque de Dépôt & d'Émission de Chaux-de-Fonds |
|---|---|
| Year | 1848 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Typeset and engraved note printed in dark brown on cream paper, with an ornate guilloche border framing the entire face. The central text panel carries the bank title and denomination in bold letterpress within a darkened cartouche, surrounded by intricate lathe-work scrollwork in the four corners. Two manuscript signatures appear in the lower portion, alongside the printed titles of the Government Commissioner and the Director, with a series letter and manuscript number visible to the left. |
|---|---|
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| Protection description | Rectangular dry embossed official stamp applied to the reverse |
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| Comments |
La Chaux-de-Fonds was the watchmaking capital of Switzerland, and this note reflects the character of that economy — a private cantonal bank serving an industrial town rather than a financial center. The Banque de Dépôt & d'Émission was one of dozens of Swiss private issuing banks that flourished before federal monetary unification under the Swiss National Bank, a process not completed until 1907.
1848 was a turbulent year across Europe, and Swiss banking confidence was far from guaranteed. An embossed stamp as the primary security feature was already considered thin protection by mid-century standards — counterfeiting of Swiss cantonal paper was a persistent problem throughout this period.