Banknote Billet France 200 francs Charles Montesquieu, écrivain et philosophe français 1983

Remarks:

Plis, plusieurs épinglages et salissures

The 200 francs Montesquieu banknote was issued in 1983 by the Banque de France. It belongs to series V.016 and is one of the iconic banknotes of the contemporary period of French currency before the transition to the euro.

This banknote pays tribute to Charles de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu, an 18th-century French writer and philosopher, notably the author of The Spirit of the Laws and Persian Letters. A major figure of the Enlightenment, Montesquieu is renowned for his theory of the separation of powers, which has profoundly influenced modern constitutional systems. His portrait graces the banknote as a representative of French thought and the country's intellectual heritage.

The banknote features a carefully crafted graphic composition, characteristic of the Banque de France's work for this series. The iconographic elements depicted are directly linked to Montesquieu's work and era, reflecting a concern for historical and artistic consistency in the banknote's design. The dominant tones, watermarks and integrated security features reflect the printing techniques in use at the time to guarantee the banknote's authenticity.

The 200 franc banknote represented a significant denomination in the French monetary system of the time. This denomination was introduced to meet the needs of everyday transactions as inflation caused the nominal value of exchanges to evolve during the decades preceding the introduction of the euro in 2002.

This banknote, belonging to series V.016, is today of interest to collectors specialising in French numismatics, particularly due to the distinction between the different series issued and their respective condition. It weighs 1 gram, in accordance with the manufacturing standards for banknotes of this generation.