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50 Livres
| Issuer | Banque de Syrie |
|---|---|
| Year | 1920 |
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| Reference(s) | P#9 |
| Obverse description | A street scene vignette at left centre rendered in fine intaglio engraving, with the bilingual bank title 'BANQUE DE SYRIE / البنك السوري' across the top and the denomination 'CINQUANTE LIVRES SYRIENNES' in large letters below. The note bears the date 'Beyrouth le 1er Janvier 1920' with Arabic text stating redeemability at 1000 Francs by cheque on Paris, flanked by ornate guilloche underprint panels and the numeral '50' at lower left and upper right corners. Signatures of the Secretary General and Director appear at lower right. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central vignette of a coastal scene with dhows under sail on calm waters, set against a mountainous backdrop, engraved in a rectangular frame. Ornate cartouches at left and right carry the denomination numeral '50' and Arabic text, while elaborate guilloche borders and decorative rosettes fill the surrounding field in a deep burgundy and green colour scheme. The denomination legend 'CINQUANTE LIVRES SYRIENNES' is inscribed in a panel across the lower margin. |
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| Comments |
The Banque de Syrie was established in 1919 under French Mandate authority, effectively replacing Ottoman monetary structures with a French-controlled institution backed by the Banque de l'Indochine. This 50 Livres dates to the very first year of that arrangement — a moment when the currency itself was a political instrument, establishing French financial authority over a territory whose borders were still being negotiated at the Paris Peace Conference.
Bradbury Wilkinson handled the printing from their New Malden works in Surrey. The choice of a British security printer for a French mandate currency was not unusual for the period — BW had the facilities, and political rivalry rarely interfered with procurement at that level.