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500 Francs Duala
| Issuer | Banque de l'Afrique Occidentale |
|---|---|
| Year | 1921 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | P#13C |
| Obverse description | Central vignette of a hexagonal blank reserve flanked by tall palm trees and a large elephant at left and a baobab tree at right, rendered in blue intaglio on an orange-brown underprint. The denomination "500" appears in each corner, with the bank title and value inscription across the upper portion and the black overprint "DUALA" at centre below the date. Two manuscript signatures appear beneath the titles "Le Président" and "L'Administrateur-Directeur". |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Intricate geometric and arabesque border design in green intaglio, composed of interlocking diamond and rectangular guilloche panels surrounding a central hexagonal blank reserve. Arabic text inscriptions appear in the upper panel and throughout the body of the note, with the black overprint "Duala" in italic script at centre. |
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| Comments |
The Banque de l'Afrique Occidentale, despite its name, also held the note-issuing privilege for French Equatorial Africa and French Cameroun — Duala being the commercial capital of the latter. This note circulating in Cameroun is a consequence of the post-WWI mandate arrangements, when France assumed administration of the former German Kamerun colony and extended the BAO's franchise accordingly.
Bellery-Desfontaines was primarily an illustrator and poster artist, better known for his Art Nouveau commercial work than for banknote design. His involvement here is unusual. The Florian brothers — Frédéric and Ernest-Théophile — handled engraving for multiple Banque de France productions in this period.