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500 Francs - Algérie type 1943
| Issuer | Banque de l'Algérie |
|---|---|
| Year | 1943 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Franc (1795-1959) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | At left, a central vignette shows a nude adolescent seated holding a basket while a second standing figure reaches upward to gather fruit; to the right, a Berber tribesman sits cross-legged clutching a rifle, with a reclining camel loaded with a large pack beside him. The note bears intaglio engraving by C. Romagnoli after the design of Georges Duval, with denomination and issuer legends framing the composition. A penal code warning inscription runs along the lower margin. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANQUE DE L'ALGERIE CINQ CENTS FRANCS TRESOR 500 ART. 139. LE CODE PENAL PUNIT DES TRAVAUX FORCES A PERPETUITE LE CONTREFACTEUR. GEORGES DUVAL - FEC C ROMAGNOL - SC |
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| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Comments |
The Allied landings of November 1942 left Algeria in an awkward monetary position — French North Africa was neither Vichy nor Free France, and the Banque de l'Algérie had to sustain a functioning currency while the political ground shifted beneath it. This 500 Francs note was printed entirely in-house at the bank's own Algiers press, an unusual degree of self-sufficiency that reflected both the difficulty of sourcing European printing at wartime and the bank's long-established local infrastructure.
Romagnoli's engraving work on this series is technically accomplished; his name appears on other Algerian issues of the period, suggesting a sustained professional relationship with the bank rather than a one-off commission. The P#93VAR designation points to a documented variant — likely a signature or control number difference from the type note — worth confirming against the specific signing combination present.