Belgian Congo Ruanda-Urundi Central Bank 1957 Five Hundred Francs Banknote Pick 34, Very Fine or Better
Description: A beautiful very fine or better banknote from the Belgian Congo. This is the 1 October 1957 Five Hundred Francs currency note issued by the Central Bank of the Belgian Congo and Ruanda-Urundi. The banknote is brown and violet on multicolored underprint. The front depicts the image of ships and cranes in the docks at Leo-Kinshasa port. The back has the same color scheme as the front and displays the image of a native man with a pole pushing a dugout canoe full of produce. The front, which is in French, has the denomination, the date, the serial number and two signatures. The back, which is in Flemish, displays the denomination and the same two signatures. The note has a watermark of a Lion's head facing forward and a security thread left of center. This particular note has the serial number A406275, which is displayed twice in black on the front. Please carefully review the scans presented as they are part and parcel of our description.
Date: 01.10.57 or 1 October 1957.
Printer: Thomas De La Rue & Company Limited, London, England.
Size: The banknote measures ~6 5/8" by ~3 1/2".
Pick Number: P 34 and is listed in the Banknote Book as B314b.
Condition: I would grade this banknote as a good very fine or better with all the details being very well preserved. The note has several folds both vertical and horizontal, general wrinkling, one small tear at the top edge near the left corner which extend about ~3/16". The tear is the main reason we grade the note as VF instead of a higher grade. The note is also soiled with some light staining especially along the edges. The note has no pinholes, no graffiti, and has minimum wear to the edges. The note retains some of its original stiffness and its colors are still fine with minimum fading. The corners are intact and squared with some rounding and some bumping. This is a nice example of this rather scarce note, which would make a nice addition to your collection. Please view the scan presented for additional condition information.
