Banknote Billet France 100 francs 1965

Remarks:

Plis de comptage

The 100 francs Corneille banknote is an issue of the Banque de France dating from 1965, referenced under the catalogue number K.68 in specialised French banknote catalogues. It belongs to the series of major cultural banknotes issued by the Banque de France during the 1960s, a period during which the likenesses of illustrious figures from French literature and the arts adorned the denominations of the national currency.

This banknote pays tribute to Pierre Corneille (1606-1684), a major French playwright of the 17th century, author notably of Le Cid, considered one of the founders of French classical tragedy. His portrait features prominently in the graphic composition of the note, which displays the aesthetic characteristics typical of French banknote production of that era, combining fineness of engraving with richness of iconographic detail.

The face value of this banknote is 100 francs, an important denomination that represented a significant sum in the economic context of France in the 1960s, under the nouveau franc system introduced by the monetary reform of 1960. The note is part of the ongoing French fiduciary policy aimed at illustrating denominations with portraits of great national figures.

From a numismatic point of view, the reference K.68 makes it possible to precisely identify this banknote among the various variants and years of issue of the Corneille series. Collectors and specialists attach particular importance to these references, which allow banknotes to be classified according to their series letter and numbering ? key factors in assessing the rarity and value of a specimen. The weight of this banknote is 1 gram, a characteristic consistent with the standards of fiduciary paper banknotes of this generation.