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500 Francs - type 1863 black indexes modificated
| Issuer | Banque de France |
|---|---|
| Year | 1882-1887 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 240 × 140 mm |
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| Obverse description | Blue intaglio-printed note with an elaborate oval guilloche border enclosing the central text area. At top, the heading BANQUE DE FRANCE / PARIS is followed by the manuscript date and the promise-to-pay clause; the large cursive denomination cinq cents francs is set in the lower central field. Two circular medallion portraits in cameo style are placed at left and right, flanked by allegorical figures of Commerce and Industry at the lower corners, while finely engraved ornamental cartouches and small oval vignettes fill the border; black serial numbers and index numbers appear at top and bottom margins. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Blue intaglio-printed reverse centred on a large plain oval reserve intended to show the watermark, surrounded by a richly engraved border of scrollwork and foliage. Two standing allegorical female figures flank the oval at upper left and upper right, their draperies rendered in fine line engraving, while two reclining putti and a central female mask in high-relief style occupy the lower border; the overall composition is symmetrical and unlettered, serving as the decorative counterpart to the obverse. |
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| Comments |
The "type 1863" designation covers a long-running series that underwent several quiet modifications across its printing life — the "black indexes" variant refers to the hand-stamped or printed series letters appearing in black rather than the coloured indexes used on earlier impressions. By the 1880s, Banque de France was still leaning heavily on mid-century engraving work: the plate design drew on contributions from Barre, whose name is more commonly associated with French coinage dies, and Pannemaker, primarily known as a wood engraver who worked extensively for illustrated press publications.
Notes of this type were withdrawn progressively as newer 500 Franc types entered circulation in the late 1880s. Surviving examples with legible black index letters and intact watermark are the ones worth examining closely — the indexing system is the only field that distinguishes individual print batches within the type.