Catalog
50 Livres
| Issuer | Banque de Syrie et du Grand-Liban |
|---|---|
| Year | 1938 |
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| Reference(s) | P#12G |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | بنك سوريا وابنا الكبير بيروت أول كانون الثاني ١٩٣٨ خمسون ليرة الرئيس معاون المدير العام ليرة |
| Reverse description | The reverse presents a finely engraved vignette of a domed Middle Eastern monument — likely the Umayyad Mosque or a similar landmark — set within a landscaped scene with trees and a pathway, rendered in green and ochre tones. The bank title BANQUE DE SYRIE ET DU GRAND-LIBAN and the geographic header GRAND-LIBAN are inscribed in letterpress across the upper portion, with the French denomination Cinquante Livres in large serif type below. The border consists of a repeating geometric guilloche pattern in red and green, with the numeral 50 at each corner and a blank oval reserve at lower centre. |
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| Comments |
The Banque de Syrie et du Grand-Liban was a French mandate institution — a concession bank operating under a 1919 agreement with the Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas. By 1938, the political ground was shifting fast: Syrian nationalists were pushing hard for independence, and the French had just suspended the 1936 Franco-Syrian Treaty that was supposed to end the mandate. Notes issued in this period circulated under genuine political strain, with the bank's authority increasingly contested.
Bradbury, Wilkinson produced high-quality intaglio work for numerous colonial and mandate issuers during this period, and the 12G series reflects that standard. The 50 Livres denomination was not everyday pocket money — at this value, notes were predominantly used in commercial and interbank transactions rather than retail circulation, which typically means survivors show less mechanical wear but more folding from ledger storage.