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500 Francs
| Issuer | Banque Nationale de Belgique |
|---|---|
| Year | 1873-1886 |
| Type | Standard circulation banknote |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | BANQUE NATIONALE Bruxelles, le 23 Septembre 1873. 500 500 CINQ CENT FRANCS PAYABLE À VUE LA LOI PUNIT LE CONTREFACTEUR DES TRAVAUX FORCÉS. (Translation: National Bank Brussels, September 23th., 1873. Five Hundred Francs Payable on sight The law punishes the counterfeitor forced labor.) |
| Reverse description | Printed in blue. Two allegorical figures representing Science and Arts are positioned at either side of the composition, with a lion vignette at the bottom center. |
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| Comments |
The Banque Nationale de Belgique established its own in-house printing works in 1851, one of the earlier European central banks to do so — giving Brussels direct control over security production at a time when most peers still contracted abroad. This 500 Francs note falls within a thirteen-year issue window, suggesting the plates were kept in service well beyond initial release, a common practice when production costs were high and the denomination saw limited public handling.
Wullschleger's engraving work for Belgian issues of this period is technically accomplished; Hendrickx as designer is less frequently credited in the broader literature on nineteenth-century Belgian note production, making the attribution here worth recording.