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500 Francs
| Issuer | Banque de Rouen |
|---|---|
| Year | 1807 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 500 Francs |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is printed in red on white paper and carries the heading CAISSE D'ESCOMPTE at the top, with a central vignette of a classical allegorical figure within an oval frame. The text BANQUE DE ROUEN, Etablie en mil-huit cent sept. is set in the upper central area, followed by manuscript text stating the obligation to pay 500 Francs at Rouen, dated premier Avril mil huit cent sept. Three manuscript signatures appear in their respective positions for the Administrateur en chef, the Caissier, and the Membre du Conseil d'Administration, with the denomination 500 repeated in the margins. A large black ANNULÉ overprint appears diagonally across the face, indicating the note was cancelled. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | CAISSE D'ESCOMPTE BANQUE DE ROUEN ET DE COMPTES COURANTS ANNULÉ |
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| Comments |
The Banque de Rouen was one of fifteen departmental banks authorized under Napoleonic legislation before the Bank of France moved to absorb them all — a process completed by 1848. These institutions issued their own notes redeemable locally, which meant a Rouen 500 Francs note was essentially worthless outside Normandy. High-denomination departmental notes were primarily instruments of commercial credit, not retail circulation; a 500 Francs piece in 1807 represented roughly a skilled worker's annual wage.
Survival rate for early departmental French issues is extremely low. Most were redeemed and destroyed as the Bank of France consolidated its monopoly.