5000 Francs - Treasury Not Issued

Printed by Forbes Lithograph in Boston for use in liberated France, this note was never officially released into circulation. The French Treasury prepared several high-denomination issues in the United States during and immediately after the war, but the speed of monetary reorganization under the provisional government meant that some denominations became redundant before distribution could begin. The 5000 Franc denomination was particularly vulnerable — at that value, uncontrolled release risked accelerating the inflation already ravaging postwar French purchasing power.

Forbes Lithograph had limited prior experience with currency-grade security printing, which distinguishes this series from contemporaneous French issues handled by more established intaglio printers.