Billet France 200 francs Charles Montesquieu, écrivain et philosophe français 1986 VF

The 200 francs Montesquieu banknote is an issue of the Banque de France that first entered circulation in 1986. The example presented here is dated 1992 and belongs to series H.118.

This banknote pays tribute to Charles de Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu, an 18th-century French writer and philosopher, best known for his major work The Spirit of the Laws, published in 1748, in which he developed his theory of the separation of powers. His portrait features prominently on this note, reflecting the recognition of the French Republic towards this fundamental intellectual figure of the Enlightenment.

The banknote has a face value of 200 francs, making it one of the highest denominations in circulation at the time, alongside the 500-franc note. The design of this series, characteristic of Banque de France productions from the late 20th century, incorporates iconographic elements related to the life and work of Montesquieu, including architectural and philosophical references typical of his era.

Like all Banque de France banknotes of this generation, this 200-franc note incorporates several security features designed to combat counterfeiting, such as watermarks, special inks and micro-printing, in line with the technical manufacturing standards of the 1980s and 1990s.

This banknote belongs to a series that was permanently withdrawn from circulation with the introduction of the euro in 2002, making these notes direct witnesses to contemporary French numismatics. It is today a collectible item representative of French fiduciary coinage under the Fifth Republic.

 

 

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