Banknote France 100 Francs - Luc Olivier Merson - 02-02-1939 - Series Z.64219

Remarks:

Plis, épinglages, salissures

The 100 Francs Luc Olivier Merson banknote, dated February 2, 1939, is among the very last issues of its kind by the Banque de France, on the immediate eve of the Second World War. Inheriting a model introduced in 1906 and regularly updated, it represents one of the last testimonies of the classic style of French banknotes before the major transformations of the mid-20th century.

Made on paper and measuring approximately 180 × 112 mm, this banknote features a rich and detailed artistic composition. The obverse highlights the allegories of Agriculture and Commerce, surrounded by vegetal elements, illustrating stability and economic prosperity. The reverse offers a complementary scene with Labor, symbolized by a blacksmith, and Fortune, embodied by a female figure carrying a cornucopia.

Equipped with a watermark representing Ceres and Mercury, this banknote benefits from the traditional security features of the period. It was demonetized on June 4, 1945, marking the end of its circulation after the Liberation.