Échantillon type Athéna à gauche - 50 Francs Quentin de la Tour

The "Quentin de la Tour" 50 Francs was introduced in 1934 and remained in production through the Occupation years, which created an uncomfortable continuity — the same note circulated under the Third Republic, the Vichy regime, and into the Liberation period. The Banque de France printing works maintained output throughout, never interrupting the series despite the political rupture of June 1940.

This listing is an échantillon type — a specimen produced for internal reference or training purposes, not for circulation. The Athéna orientation variant noted in the title distinguishes it from the standard issue by the positioning of the allegorical figure, a detail that matters primarily for plating and proofing studies rather than for circulation history.