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500 Francs Pascal, type 1968, head-to-tail watermark
| Issuer | Banque de France |
|---|---|
| Year | 1973-1992 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | 28 February 2007 |
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| Obverse description | Intaglio bust of Blaise Pascal at center, with the Tour Saint-Jacques (bell tower of Saint-Jacques-la-Boucherie) to the left and Notre-Dame-de-Prospérité in Clermont-Ferrand to the right. Denomination numeral "500" appears in both upper corners above a guilloche underprint, with "BANQUE DE FRANCE" across the top. |
|---|---|
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| Protection type | Watermark |
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| Comments |
The 500 Francs Pascal had one of the longest production runs of any modern French note — nearly two decades out of the Chamalières facility, which the Banque de France had operated since 1923 specifically to maintain inhouse control over security printing. The "head-to-tail" designation in the watermark classification distinguishes this type from the earlier single-orientation watermark issues; a minor technical refinement, but one that collectors use to separate the series into distinct subgroups.
Fontanarosa's design, rendered in intaglio by Armanelli and Durrens, honored Blaise Pascal — mathematician, physicist, religious philosopher — an unusual choice for a circulation note, given that French banknote portraiture had long favored artists and statesmen over scientists. Pascal had been lobbied for inclusion since at least the 1950s.