France 1940 10 Francs - Minerva - 21-11-1940 - Série S VF+

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The 10 francs Minerve banknote dated 21 November 1940 belongs to a French issue produced in a particular historical context, that of the beginning of the Second World War and the establishment of the Vichy regime in France. This banknote, belonging to series S, represents a direct testimony of French monetary circulation during this troubled period.

The Minerve type takes its name from the Roman goddess of wisdom and the arts, whose effigy forms the central element of the banknote's graphic composition. This iconographic choice is part of a French republican tradition that frequently associated Greco-Roman allegorical figures with official representations of the national currency. The figure of Minerva, helmeted and solemn, gives this banknote a classical aesthetic characteristic of Banque de France productions of that era.

Issued in 1940 with a face value of 10 francs, this banknote belongs to the low-denomination notes that were commonly used in the daily lives of French citizens. The precise date of 21 November 1940 places it exactly within the chronology of Banque de France issues, just a few months after the armistice of June 1940.

Series S indicates the print sequence to which this example belongs, a key piece of information for collectors specialising in French paper money of the 20th century. Banknotes from this period generally display technical characteristics specific to the printing techniques of the time, with watermarks and numbering used to authenticate and control the circulation of notes. This banknote is today a collectible item representative of France's monetary and economic history during the Occupation.

 

 

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