5000 Francs

The Côte Française des Somalis was administered directly from Paris, and this high-denomination note was issued by the Trésor Public rather than a colonial bank — an arrangement that kept monetary control firmly in metropolitan hands. The 5000-franc value placed it well above everyday transactions in a territory where the economy was dominated by port activity at Djibouti and transit trade to Ethiopia.

Clément Serveau designed extensively for French colonial issues of this period, and the engraving work here is split between Piel and Beltrand on the obverse — a division of labor common at the Banque de France atelier when deadline pressures required it.