Catalog
500 Francs
| Issuer | Banque Centrale du Congo Belge et du Ruanda-Urundi |
|---|---|
| Year | 1953-1955 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Franc (1960-1967) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANQUE CENTRALE DU CONGO BELGE ET DU RUANDA-URUNDI CINQ CENTS FRANCS PAYABLES À VUE LE PREMIER-DIRECTEUR LE GOUVERNEUR LE CONTREFACTEUR EST PUNI DE SERVITUDE PÉNALE BRADBURY, WILKINSON & C° L° NEW MALDEN, SURREY, ENGLAND (Translation: CENTRAL BANK OF BELGIAN CONGO AND RUANDA-URUNDI / FIVE HUNDRED FRANCS / PAYABLE AT SIGHT / THE FIRST DIRECTOR / THE GOVERNOR / THE COUNTERFEITER IS PUNISHED BY PENAL SERVITUDE / BRADBURY, WILKINSON & CO. LTD, NEW MALDEN, SURREY, ENGLAND) |
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| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Lion's head watermark |
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| Comments |
The Banque Centrale du Congo Belge et du Ruanda-Urundi was itself a short-lived institution — created in 1952 to replace the Banque du Congo Belge, it was dissolved in 1960 when Congolese independence forced a rapid restructuring of the entire colonial currency apparatus. This 500 Franc note falls squarely in the middle of that brief operational window, a high denomination issued for a territory whose monetary administration Brussels was already quietly reconsidering.
Bradbury, Wilkinson's involvement is unsurprising — the New Malden firm printed for numerous colonial issuers across this period and had long-standing relationships with Belgian authorities.