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20 Francs
| Issuer | Banque Nationale de Belgique |
|---|---|
| Year | 1850 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 20 LOI DU 5 MAI 1850 20 BANQUE NATIONALE VINGT FRANCS Payable à Vue (Translation: Law of May 5, 1850 Twenty Francs Payable on sight) |
| Reverse description | A mirror-image impression of the obverse design printed in black, with an overprint of Minerva and Mercury heads and cherub vignettes rendered in green. Two rounded cancellation stamps are present, one in black and one in red. |
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| Comments |
The Banque Nationale de Belgique was only established in 1850, the same year this note was issued — making P#41 among the earliest instruments produced by an institution that was itself brand new. The National Bank had been founded by royal decree in March of that year, absorbing the functions of the Société Générale which had served as a de facto central bank since 1822.
Léopold Wiener was primarily a medallist and engraver rather than a banknote designer — his involvement reflects how early Belgian paper currency drew on the country's established tradition of medal and coin artistry rather than specialist security printing expertise.