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10 Livres LIBAN 1939
| Issuer | Banque de Syrie et du Grand-Liban |
|---|---|
| Year | 1939 |
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| Printer | Banque de France, France |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is dominated by Arabic text at centre, including the denomination عشر ليرات (ten livres), serial number, date, and redemption clause, all set within a large octagonal guilloche panel framed by an intricate floral and foliate border in red and brown. A black overprint reading LIBAN 1939 appears at the top, accompanied by Arabic script, with the numeral 10 in red at the lower right. Two manuscript signatures appear below the central text block. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse presents a large intaglio vignette of the Temple of Venus at Baalbek at centre-left, rendered in fine engraved detail with surrounding landscape and architectural ruins. An octagonal guilloche panel occupies the right portion of the note, while the denomination DIX LIVRES is inscribed in large letters below the central vignette. The entire composition is framed by a dense guilloche border in red with floral corner ornaments, and the issuer's name is printed across the top. |
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| Comments |
The Banque de Syrie et du Grand-Liban was a French-controlled concessionary bank whose note-issuing authority over the Levant mandates depended entirely on Paris — so it is no surprise that printing fell to the Banque de France. Clément Serveau, a prolific illustrator between the wars, supplied the design; Ernest Deloche handled the engraving, as he did for numerous Banque de France issues of the same period.
The 1939 date places this note on the eve of the Second World War, which would within a few years fracture the currency arrangements across Syria and Lebanon entirely. The Grand-Liban designation in the bank's name was itself already a political fiction by this point — Greater Lebanon as a distinct French-administered entity had been contested since its proclamation in 1920.
Pick lists this as P#13B, distinguishing it by signature combination from otherwise identical printings.