Banknote Billet France 100 francs René Descartes 1942

Remarks:

Plis et épinglages

The 100 francs Descartes banknote is a French banknote issued in 1942, during a particularly significant period of French monetary history marked by the Occupation. This banknote belongs to series B.3 and has a face value of 100 francs.

The central figure on this banknote is René Descartes (1596-1650), a French philosopher, mathematician and physicist, considered one of the fathers of modern philosophy and the founder of analytic geometry. His major work, the Discourse on the Method (1637), earned him universal and lasting fame. The presence of Descartes on this banknote reflects the Banque de France's desire to highlight the great intellectual figures of the national heritage.

This banknote is a characteristic example of French fiduciary production from the first half of the 20th century, a time when banknotes were the subject of particular care in their artistic and graphic design. Banknotes of this series generally feature a refined typographic and illustrative composition, reflecting the expertise of the engravers and printers of the Banque de France.

Today, this banknote represents a historical testimony to monetary circulation in France under the Vichy regime, a period during which the Banque de France continued to issue denominations bearing portraits of great personalities from French culture and science.