Banknote Billet France 100 francs Maximilien de Béthune 1942

The 100 francs banknote known as "Sully" is a French banknote issued in 1942, a period corresponding to the German occupation and the Vichy regime. It belongs to series P.28021 and has a face value of 100 francs.

This banknote pays tribute to Maximilien de Béthune, better known by his title of Duke of Sully (1559-1641), finance minister and trusted advisor to King Henry IV. Sully is particularly renowned for having restored the finances of the Kingdom of France and for encouraging the development of agriculture and infrastructure. His portrait forms the central iconographic element of this banknote, in keeping with the French tradition of illustrating banknotes with notable historical figures.

The 100 francs Sully banknote is part of the Banque de France issues that continued to circulate during the troubled years of the Second World War. The production and distribution of banknotes in France during this period were heavily influenced by the economic and political constraints of the time, which gives these notes a particular historical value beyond their purely monetary dimension.

From a technical standpoint, the banknote displays the graphic and typographic characteristics typical of Banque de France productions of that era, with careful printing techniques designed to limit the risk of counterfeiting.

Now withdrawn from circulation since the replacement of the franc by the euro in 2002, this banknote is sought after by collectors specialising in 20th-century French numismatics, particularly for its connection to a pivotal period in French history.