Banknote Billet France 200 francs Charles Montesquieu, écrivain et philosophe français 1986

Remarks:

Plis et usure

The 200 francs Montesquieu banknote is a French banknote issued from 1986 onwards by the Banque de France. The example presented here bears the date 1992 and the reference letter K.124, which allows its issue series to be precisely identified.

This banknote pays tribute to Charles de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu, an 18th-century French writer and philosopher, famous in particular for his major work The Spirit of the Laws, published in 1748, in which he developed the theory of the separation of powers. His portrait features prominently on the banknote, reflecting the recognition of the French Republic towards one of the most influential intellectual figures in the history of Western political thought.

The banknote has a face value of 200 francs, making it one of the highest denominations in the range of French franc banknotes in circulation at the time. Its graphic design is characteristic of the style adopted by the Banque de France for its late 20th-century issues, combining iconographic elements related to the depicted personality with security features designed to protect the fiduciary document.

This type of banknote belongs to a series that circulated in France for several years before the transition to the single European currency in 2002, when franc banknotes were gradually withdrawn from circulation. The Montesquieu series banknotes are today collectible items representative of French numismatic policy at the end of the 20th century. The issue year 1992 and the reference K.124 are key elements for collectors wishing to precisely identify this example in specialised catalogues.