50 Francs

Léopold Wiener was primarily a medallist — one of the most accomplished in mid-nineteenth century Belgium — and his involvement in banknote design at the Banque Nationale was a direct consequence of that reputation rather than any background in intaglio printing. The engraved quality of the series reflects his training in relief work rather than the conventions of contemporary banknote houses like Bradbury or Waterlow.

By 1862 the Banque Nationale had held its note-issuing monopoly for just over a decade, having been established in 1850 to replace the chaotic private bank system that had destabilized Belgian finance through the 1840s. This series was part of the early institutional effort to build public confidence in centrally issued paper.