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5 Francs
| Issuer | Banque du Congo Belge |
|---|---|
| Year | 1914-1924 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5 Francs |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | An allegorical female figure standing at left tends to a young child beside a domed beehive, rendered in fine intaglio engraving against an intricate guilloche border with numeral '5' medallions at each corner. The bank title 'BANQUE DU CONGO BELGE' is set in bold letterpress across the upper centre, with the denomination 'CINQ FRANCS' enclosed in an ornamental panel to the right. Two manuscript signatures appear below the payability clause, above the printer's imprint 'Waterlow & Sons Ld Londres' along the lower margin. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The central vignette presents a hippopotamus and elephant together at centre, framed by guilloche borders and corner numeral '5' medallions in a composition mirroring the obverse layout. The Dutch-language equivalent of the bank title and denomination is printed across the upper portion, with the payability clause referencing Kinshasa below. |
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| Comments |
The Banque du Congo Belge was established in 1909, the same year Belgium formally annexed what had been Leopold II's private colony. This 5 Francs note bridges the early colonial banking period and the economic disruptions of the First World War, during which supply of currency to the Congo became logistically complicated — Waterlow's London facility continued printing throughout, but distribution to Leopoldville was hardly routine.
The P#4A designation covers a decade-long span, meaning individual notes within the type can vary in date significantly. Waterlow handled the full print run without interruption, which gives the series a consistent technical quality despite the turbulent years it straddles.