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500 Francs - Victor Hugo type 1953
| Issuer | Banque de France |
|---|---|
| Year | 1954-1958 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 500 BANQUE DE FRANCE 500 CINQ CENTS FRANCS |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | 5 BANQUE DE FRANCE 5 L'ARTICLE 139 DU CODE PENAL PUNIT DES TRAVAUX FORCES CEUX QUI AURONT CONTREFAIT OU FALSIFIE LES BILLETS DE BANQUES AUTORISES PAR LA LOI, AINSI QUE CEUX QUI AURONT FAIT USAGE DE CES BILLETS CONTREFAITS OU FALSIFIES |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Comments |
The Victor Hugo 500 Francs was introduced as France was still running a deeply devalued currency — at issue in 1954, one new franc was still four years away, meaning this note represented a fraction of its nominal face value in real purchasing power. Serveau's design went through a quiet revision between signature periods: notes bearing the earlier Belin signatures are noticeably scarcer, as the 1954–1955 window was short and production volumes were modest compared to the later Gouin d'Ambrières / Favre-Gilly runs.
Piel and Marliat split engraving duties on the obverse — an unusual division for a single face, and one that occasionally produced minor tonal inconsistencies in the portrait depth across different press runs.