Banknote Billet France 10 francs 1975

Remarks:

Plusieurs épinglages, plis, tâches, salissures et coin haut gauche manquant

The 10 francs Berlioz banknote is an issue of the Banque de France belonging to the series of French banknotes of the 20th century. Put into circulation from 1975, this specific example bears the date of 4 March 1976 and belongs to series Q.286.

The banknote pays tribute to Hector Berlioz (1803-1869), a major French composer of musical Romanticism, author in particular of the Symphonie Fantastique. The choice of this figure is in keeping with the Banque de France's tradition of depicting iconic figures of French cultural and artistic heritage on its banknotes.

The obverse of the banknote features a portrait of Hector Berlioz, accompanied by graphic elements evoking his musical works. The reverse also features motifs linked to the composer's world, incorporating architectural or artistic representations characteristic of the graphic design of French banknotes of that era. The dominant colours of the banknote revolve around warm tones, typical of French banknote production in the 1970s.

The graphic design of this banknote was produced by the workshops of the Banque de France, with the attention to detail and printing finesse characteristic of the intaglio techniques used for banknotes of this period. The security features integrated into this type of banknote include a watermark visible by transparency, as well as micro-printing designed to combat counterfeiting.

This 10 francs banknote circulated in France until the gradual replacement of the old francs, and today constitutes a tangible testament to the French monetary history of the Fourth Republic and beyond. The series Q.286 makes it possible to precisely identify its position in the general numbering of this issue, a key piece of information for collectors wishing to establish the relative rarity of the example.