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50 Livres
| Issuer | Domaines Nationaux |
|---|---|
| Year | 1792 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Black letterpress on white paper. The upper portion bears the heading DOMAINES NATIONAUX in large bold type, flanked by ornate border decorations, with a central oval medallion vignette of a bust portrait in profile, generally attributed to Louis XVI. The text below states this assignat is hypothecated to the repayment of assignats by decree of the Assemblée Nationale, sanctioned by the King, with the denomination ASSIGNAT DE CINQUANTE liv. in large display type and a manuscript serial number and handwritten signature at lower centre. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Plain unprinted white paper reverse with very faint blind-embossed or offset impressions visible from the obverse printing, and two decorative cartouche outlines at lower left and lower right mirroring the obverse vignette frames. No printed text or design elements are present. |
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| Comments |
The Domaines Nationaux assignats were backed — notionally — by the confiscated lands of the Church and the émigré nobility, a fiscal mechanism the Revolutionary government adopted in 1790 to monetize what it had seized rather than pay for directly. By 1792, confidence in that backing was already eroding badly. Overissue was systematic and deliberate, with the total assignat float reaching several billion livres within a few years of introduction.
Forgery was a serious operational problem for the entire series. The British government reportedly ran industrial-scale counterfeiting operations aimed at accelerating the currency's collapse, and domestic forgery was equally rampant. The manuscript signature on each note was one of the few individualized security elements, though its deterrent value was limited against organized production.
By 1796 the assignat had lost virtually all exchange value and was formally withdrawn.