Catalog
50 Livres
| Issuer | Banque de Syrie et du Liban |
|---|---|
| Year | 1939 |
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| Composition | Paper |
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| Obverse description | A vignette at left presents a street scene with an arched colonnade, rendered in fine intaglio engraving. The centre carries bilingual text in French and Arabic with the denomination and redemption clause, flanked by guilloche underprint panels and the numeral 50 at lower left and right. The date "Damas 1er Septembre 1939" appears below the central inscription, with two manuscript signatures beneath. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A central intaglio vignette illustrates traditional dhows under sail on a coastal sea, with mountains visible in the background. Elaborate guilloche borders frame the central panel on all sides, with ornate rosette medallions at the corners and the denomination numeral 50 within a decorative cartouche at right. Arabic script of the bank name runs along the top border, with the French legend "CINQUANTE LIVRES" set in letterpress along the lower margin. |
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| Comments |
The Banque de Syrie et du Liban operated under French Mandate authority, and by 1939 its note issues were carrying the weight of an administration increasingly anxious about the coming European war. Bradbury Wilkinson's involvement was long-standing with this series — the London firm had handled high-denomination Mandate-era printings for the bank through the 1930s, producing work of consistently high engraving quality.
The 50 Livres was not a denomination that saw heavy street circulation. At that value, these notes moved primarily between commercial institutions and government accounts, which is why surviving examples often show less wear than lower denominations from the same period.