Catalog
De La Rue Giori - 1 Varinota prototype/demonstration note
| Issuer | De La Rue Giori S.A. |
|---|---|
| Year | |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse lettering | De La Rue Giori S. A. SPECIMEN 1 DESIGNED BY ENGRAVED BY VARINOTA |
| Reverse description | A multicolour intaglio vignette occupies the full width of the note, illustrating Beethoven seated at a grand piano performing before a candlelit audience of elegantly dressed figures in period costume. To the lower left, an inkwell and quill pen serve as secondary compositional motifs, while a French horn vignette appears at the right margin against interlocking guilloche rosettes. The overall palette is rendered in purple, ochre, and rose tones, with the printer's name arching across the upper portion in gothic script. |
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| Comments |
De La Rue Giori produced Varinota specimens as internal demonstration pieces — shown to central banks and finance ministries to illustrate the capabilities of their Orlof intaglio printing process. The "Varinota" name was a marketing device, not a currency designation; these notes were never tendered for adoption by any issuing authority and carry no legal tender status anywhere.
The Lausanne press used these to sell presses, not paper. Surviving examples turn up almost exclusively through trade contacts and former employees of security printing firms.