1 Livre pattern overprint

The Banque de Syrie et du Liban operated under French Mandate authority, and the 1939 date places this note at an acutely uncertain moment — France was mobilizing for war, and currency planning for the Levant territories had to account for the very real possibility that supply lines to London would be severed. Pattern overprints from this period were typically produced to test approval of modified designs or authorization text before committing to a full print run, meaning this note was never intended for public circulation at any point.

Bradbury Wilkinson held the contract for this series throughout the late Mandate period. Surviving pattern pieces are uncommon; most were retained by the printer or the issuing authority and destroyed after approval decisions were made.