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1000 Francs - Banque des Fonds Perdus
| Issuer | Banque des Fonds Perdus |
|---|---|
| Year | |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 207 × 126 mm |
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| Obverse description | Printed in dark blue over a pale green guilloche underprint, the obverse displays a Greco-Roman aesthetic in Art Deco style. Classical helmeted portrait busts appear in vignettes at the upper left and upper right corners, flanked by decorative urns and anthemion motifs; the numeral "1000" is centred in the upper register between stylised torch-like ornaments. The denomination "MILLE FRANCS" is set in large letterpress type across the centre, with the corner numerals "1.000" repeated at lower left and right, and the disclaimer "USAGE EXCLUSIF À LA SCÈNE" inscribed within a guilloche panel at the foot. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | BANQUE DES FONDS PERDUS 1 000 MILLE FRANCS USAGE EXCLUSIF À LA SCÈNE |
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| Comments |
The "Banque des Fonds Perdus" — literally the Bank of Lost Funds — was not a real issuing institution. These notes are satirical or novelty pieces, a French tradition of fictitious banknote design used for advertising, theatrical props, or political mockery. The name itself is the joke: fonds perdus in French means both "lost funds" and, in financial terminology, a non-recoverable investment or annuity with no return of principal.
Without confirmed dating or a known printer, provenance is difficult to establish. The format falls within ranges used by French printers for commercial ephemera in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.