500 Francs Grand-Bassam

The Banque de l'Afrique Occidentale held a private concession to issue currency across French West Africa, a commercial privilege that persisted until 1955 — making it one of the longer-running colonial note monopolies on the continent. Grand-Bassam, named as the place of payment, was the original administrative capital of Côte d'Ivoire before yellow fever outbreaks repeatedly decimated its European population and forced the colonial seat inland to Boissy, then eventually to Abidjan.

Bellery-Desfontaines was primarily an illustrator and poster artist; his work on this series is among the few instances his designs crossed into engraved banknote production. The Florian brothers — Frédéric and Ernest-Théophile — handled the engraving at Banque de France, which produced notes for BAO issues throughout this period.