500 Francs - Pierre & Marie Curie type 1993

Roger Pfund's design for this series was notably unconventional by Banque de France standards — the Swiss graphic designer brought a deliberately modernist aesthetic that divided opinion when the note entered circulation in 1994. It was among the last French franc notes issued before the euro transition rendered the entire series obsolete, with franc banknotes ceasing to be legal tender in February 2002.

Four distinct signature combinations exist across the print run, making date-signature matching worth attention for a complete type collection. The 2000-dated examples with the Barroux/Bonnardin/Vienney combination saw the shortest issue window.