Banknote Billet France 100 francs 1940

Remarks:

Plis, multiple épinglages et salissures

The 100 francs Sully banknote is an issue of the Banque de France dated 11 January 1940, bearing the reference B.6157. This banknote belongs to a series produced during the height of the Phoney War, making it a direct witness to a pivotal moment in French history.

The Sully type pays tribute to Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully (1559-1641), finance minister to King Henry IV and an iconic figure of economic and financial management in France under the Ancien Régime. His portrait forms the central element of the banknote's graphic composition, in keeping with the artistic conventions characteristic of French banknotes from the interwar period.

This 100 francs banknote is part of the tradition of large denominations issued by the Banque de France, which drew upon allegorical and historical imagery to reinforce the legitimacy and solemnity of monetary instruments. The typography, graphic ornamentation and security features typical of the printing techniques of the era visually define this document.

The face value of 100 francs represented a significant sum in 1940, corresponding to a medium-to-high value denomination within the French monetary system of the time. Banknotes of this type are now sought after by collectors specialising in French 20th-century numismatics, particularly those examples whose date and alphanumeric reference are clearly identifiable, as is the case here with the precise notation B.6157.

The full reference 100 Francs - Sully - 11-01-1940 - B.6157 enables precise identification of this example within the production of the Sully series, thereby facilitating its attribution and study in a numismatic or historical context.