Banknote Billet France 1000 francs 1942

Remarks:

Plis, épinglages et tâches

The 1000 francs banknote known as "Goddess Demeter and Mercury" is a French banknote issued in 1942, belonging to series P.831. It is part of the particular economic and political context of France under the Occupation, a period during which the Banque de France continued to issue high face value denominations.

This banknote features two major mythological figures: Demeter, the Greek goddess of harvests and fertility, and Mercury, the Roman god of commerce and travellers. This iconographic choice, common in French fiduciary tradition, reflects the economic and agricultural values associated with the power of the national currency. The allegorical representation of these deities gives the banknote an academic aesthetic characteristic of Banque de France productions from the first half of the 20th century.

The face value of 1000 francs made it a very high-value denomination for the time, reserved for important transactions. The year 1942 corresponds to a period of great economic tension in France, marked by inflation, shortages and the upheavals linked to the Second World War, which gives this banknote an undeniable historical dimension.

From a manufacturing standpoint, this type of Banque de France banknote from this era was produced on specific paper incorporating security features in line with the standards of the time, with intaglio printing allowing a fine and detailed rendering of ornamental motifs and allegorical portraits. The P.831 series allows precise identification of the issue batch of this banknote within the overall production of this reference.