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5000 Francs - Marianne type 1945
| Issuer | French Treasury (Trésor Central) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1945 |
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| Reference(s) | P#109 |
| Obverse description | At centre, a circular medallion carries a right-facing portrait bust of Marianne, the allegorical figure of the French Republic, wearing a Phrygian cap in the style designed by Edmund Dulac. The medallion is set within an elaborate surround of guilloche latticework and geometric underprint patterns that fill the entire field. Denomination numerals appear at each corner, with the issuing authority and value inscriptions arranged around the central vignette. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 5000 | 5000 REPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE TRESOR CENTRAL 5000 CINQ MILLE FRANCS 5000 5000 | 5000 |
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| Comments |
Edmund Dulac — better known as a book illustrator and stamp designer than a banknote artist — produced this design while working for the Free French authorities in London, where De La Rue printed the series for the provisional government in exile. The Marianne head he drew became the defining image of liberated France's emergency currency, intended for circulation immediately following the Allied landings.
De La Rue printed several denominations in this series under wartime conditions, and the notes were shipped to France in advance of the liberation for rapid deployment. Dulac also designed the famous 1940 British "half-crown" stamp portrait of King George VI — the crossover between philatelic and notaphilic work is unusual for any single artist of his period.