Banknote Billet France 500 francs 1942

Remarks:

Plis

The 500 francs "La Paix" banknote issued in 1942 belongs to one of the most iconic series of the Banque de France during the Second World War period. This banknote bears the series U.6964 and corresponds to an issue produced in France under the Occupation.

The "La Paix" type takes its name from the feminine allegory depicted on this banknote, a figure symbolising peace, in accordance with the classic iconographic codes of French numismatics. This type of banknote was created by the workshops of the Banque de France and illustrates the graphic style characteristic of French banknotes from the interwar period and the early 1940s, combining complex ornaments, security watermarks and allegorical motifs.

The face value of 500 francs represented a significant denomination in the French monetary system of the time, corresponding to a considerable sum for the period. Banknotes of this type circulated in a particularly difficult economic context, marked by wartime restrictions, inflation and the disruptions caused by the German Occupation.

From a technical standpoint, this banknote displays the manufacturing characteristics typical of Banque de France issues of this period, including intaglio printing techniques that give the note its distinctive relief, as well as security features embedded in the paper.

The "La Paix" series 500 francs banknotes are today sought-after collectibles among paper currency enthusiasts, or notaphilists, owing to their historical value and their place within a pivotal period of French economic and political history.