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500 Francs / Frank = 100 Belgas / Belga
| Issuer | Banque Nationale de Belgique / Nationale Bank van Belgie |
|---|---|
| Year | 1938-1943 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 500 Francs |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse, also executed in blue intaglio, carries the Dutch-language equivalent of the note's inscriptions within a richly ornamented guilloche border. Two classical allegorical female figures flank the central panel, with additional figures in the lower register. The denomination appears as 'VIJF HONDERD FRANK / HONDERD BELGA', with value numerals '500 FRANK' at upper left and right and '100 BELGA' at lower left and right, above the issuer panel 'NATIONALE BANK VAN BELGIE' and the signatures of the Onderschathouder and Gouverneur. |
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| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Watermark visible in the paper |
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| Comments |
The "Belga" was a trade unit introduced in 1926, pegged at five francs, designed specifically to simplify foreign exchange calculations during the interwar period. By the time this note was being issued, the dual denomination labeling had become something of an anachronism — the Belga was never popular in domestic use and would be formally abandoned in 1946.
The date range spans the German occupation, which matters. From May 1940 onward, the Banque Nationale continued operating under Reichskommissariat supervision, and notes of this type circulated alongside German-issued Reichskreditkassenscheine. The occupation authorities did not suppress Belgian note issue — they exploited it.