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5 Marks type 1947
| Issuer | French Treasury |
|---|---|
| Year | 1947 |
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| Reference(s) | P#5 |
| Obverse description | Central medallion bearing a three-quarter view of Zeus in profile to the right, executed in intaglio. The vignette is framed by symmetrical vegetal motifs. The denomination numeral '5' appears at left and right, with bilingual inscriptions reading 'SARRE 1947' and 'CINQ MARK'. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | A standing figure of Ceres is rendered in intaglio at centre, holding ears of corn in her right hand and a cornucopia in her left hand. The denomination numeral '5' flanks the composition on both sides, with bilingual anti-counterfeiting warnings in French and German running along the lower margin. |
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| Comments |
After World War II, France administered a zone of occupation in western Germany and needed small-denomination currency to function independently of the Allied Military Mark. These Marks, printed in Paris by the Imprimerie du Timbre — better known for postage stamps than banknotes — were issued under French authority rather than any German institution, a distinction that mattered considerably to Bonn when the question of monetary unification arose in 1948.
The engraving team is notable: Deloche and Bornet both worked extensively on French postage stamps, which accounts for the almost philatelic precision of the intaglio work on this small note.