Banknote Billet France 500 francs Blaise Pascal 1979

Remarks:

Plusieurs épinglages, plis et salissures

This 500 francs banknote belongs to the so-called "Pascal" series, issued by the Banque de France. It bears the date of 7 June 1979 and is referenced under the catalogue number G.106, a designation used in specialised catalogues to precisely identify this issue.

The personality depicted on this banknote is Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), a French mathematician, physicist, philosopher and theologian, whose likeness was chosen to illustrate this 500 francs denomination. The Pascal series was introduced in the 1960s and remained in circulation until the early 1990s, making it one of the most iconic issues of French monetary policy during that period.

The banknote displays the typical graphic characteristics of this series, with a composition combining Pascal's portrait, architectural and scientific elements evoking his work, particularly in relation to his studies on atmospheric pressure and calculus. The dominant colours revolve around shades of brown and blue, characteristic of this issue. Both the front and back of the banknote feature security elements specific to the Banque de France's printing techniques of the time, including the watermark and fine intaglio details.

The face value of 500 francs represented a significant denomination in the French monetary system of the time, before the transition to the euro in 2002, which brought an end to the legal circulation of all franc banknotes. The reference G.106 allows collectors and experts to precisely locate this banknote within the chronology of successive printings of the series, with each letter and reference number corresponding to a specific issue identifiable in specialised numismatic catalogues.