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500 Francs Porto-Novo
| Issuer | Banque de l'Afrique Occidentale |
|---|---|
| Year | 1924 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | P#13E |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANQUE DE L'AFRIQUE OCCIDENTALE CINQ CENTS FRANCS PAYABLES EN ESPÈCES, A VUE, AU PORTEUR PORTO-NOVO h. Bellery Desfontaines del. ERNEST ET FRÉDÉRIC FLORIAN SC. |
| Reverse description | The reverse is printed entirely in brown on plain paper and carries Arabic-script text arranged in a symmetrical layout within ornate geometric guilloche borders at top and bottom. A blank hexagonal medallion occupies the centre, mirroring the obverse, surrounded by intricate arabesque panel work and corner ornaments in a flat letterpress design. |
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| Comments |
The Banque de l'Afrique Occidentale was a private commercial bank chartered under French law, not a central bank — its right to issue currency in French West Africa was a concession that generated considerable political friction throughout the interwar period. Porto-Novo designates the place of payment, not the print shop; the plates were produced by the Banque de France in its Chamalières facility, which handled colonial note production as a separate commercial contract.
Bellery-Desfontaines was primarily a poster artist and illustrator, better known for his Belle Époque theatrical work than for banknote design. The engraving fell to the Florian brothers, Frédéric and Ernest-Théophile, who between them handled a significant portion of BAO plate work in the early 1920s.
The P#13E suffix indicates a distinct signature combination within the 1924 series — signature pairings on BAO notes changed frequently as bank directorship turned over.