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100 Francs - type 1848 provisional transposed
| Issuer | Banque de France |
|---|---|
| Year | 1848 |
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| Value | 100 Francs |
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| Obverse description | Green-tinted note with an ornate engraved border of interlaced guilloche work framing the entire field. The upper portion carries the inscription 'BANQUE DE FRANCE' and 'Billet de cent francs' in letterpress, with the large numeral '100 F.' centered below. Two symmetrical text blocks appear in the lower lateral panels, and a manuscript date reading 'Paris, le 4 Mai 1848' is inscribed in the central area above the denomination, with three manuscript signature lines for the Caissier principal, Contrôleur, and Secrétaire général at the foot. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANQUE DE FRANCE Billet de cent francs 100 F. Paris, le ... 1848 Le Caissier principal, Le Contrôleur, Le Secrétaire général |
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The "type 1848 provisional transposed" designation refers to one of the more peculiar episodes in French monetary history. Following the February Revolution and the proclamation of the Second Republic, the Banque de France was granted cours forcé — forced-currency status — on 15 March 1848, suspending specie convertibility almost overnight. The bank scrambled to produce small-denomination notes it had never before issued, and existing 100 Franc plates were hastily adapted, with the orientation of certain design elements rotated relative to the standard format. This is what collectors mean by "transposed."
With over twelve million printed in a single year, scarcity is not the draw here — survival rate in any presentable condition is.