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500 Francs / 100 Ariary
| Issuer | Institut d'Émission Malgache |
|---|---|
| Year | 1952-1961 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Central intaglio vignette of a Malagasy woman in traditional dress holding a basket of tropical fruit and produce, set against a floral underprint of stylised blossoms, with denomination numerals '500' at upper left and upper right. The issuing authority 'INSTITUT DE L'ÉMISSION MALGACHE' appears in large letterpress type across the lower portion, while the dual-currency value inscriptions 'CINQ CENTS FRANCS' and '100 ARIARY' are rendered in bold intaglio lettering to the right. The Malagasy-language legends 'FAMOAHAM-BOLAN'NY REPOBLIKA MALAGASY' and 'ARIARY ZATO' are overprinted across the upper register, with engraver and designer credits 'C. SERVEAU FEC. R. ARMANELLI SC.' at the lower margin. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | BANQUE DE MADAGASCAR ET DES COMORES 500 L'ARTICLE 139 DU CODE PÉNAL PUNIT DES TRAVAUX FORCÉS À PERPÉTUITÉ CEUX QUI AURONT CONTREFAIT OU FALSIFIÉ LES BILLETS DE BANQUES AUTORISÉES PAR LA LOI C. SERVEAU FEC. A. MARLIAT SC. |
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| Comments |
The Institut d'Émission Malgache was established in 1950 as a transitional issuing authority for Madagascar and the Comoros — a French colonial mechanism designed to manage the monetary transition ahead of eventual independence, which Madagascar reached in 1960. This note therefore spans both sides of that political rupture, with the same design circulating under colonial administration and then briefly under a newly sovereign state before the series was retired.
Clément Serveau was one of the Banque de France's most prolific designers of the mid-century colonial note series. Armanelli and Marliat divided the engraving work between obverse and reverse — a standard division of labor at the Chamalières facility, but worth noting here because the quality differential between the two sides is occasionally visible under magnification.