Catalog
500 Francs
| Issuer | Banque Centrale du Congo Belge et du Ruanda-Urundi |
|---|---|
| Year | 1957-1959 |
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| Composition | Cotton paper |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central intaglio vignette of a Congolese man standing in a dugout canoe, poling through a river and transporting a load of fruit, with lush tropical riverbank vegetation in the background. A large blank guilloche medallion occupies the left portion of the note, and the denomination "VIJF HONDERD FRANK" is set in bold letterpress at lower left. A star device appears at upper right within the decorative border. |
| Reverse lettering | CENTRALE BANK VAN BELGISCH-CONGO EN RUANDA-URUNDI VIJF HONDERD FRANK BETAALBAAR OP ZICHT DE NAMAKER WORDT MET STRAFDIENST GESTRAFT |
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| Comments |
The Banque Centrale du Congo Belge et du Ruanda-Urundi was itself a short-lived institution — established in 1952 to replace the Banque du Congo Belge, it was dissolved in 1960 when Belgian Congo gained independence and the monetary union with Ruanda-Urundi began to fracture. Notes issued under this authority therefore span barely eight years of actual operation, with this 500 Franc denomination representing the upper range of routine commercial circulation.
Thomas De La Rue's involvement was typical of late-colonial Belgian African currency production, where Brussels consistently outsourced high-denomination printing to London rather than the Banque Nationale de Belgique's own facilities. The choice reflected security concerns as much as capacity.