5 francs 1941

Common. The eBay price history demonstrates consistent availability of this note in circulation grades (F, VF) at modest prices ranging from $1.25 to $13.50 over the past 15 years. Regular auction activity with multiple lots selling each year indicates abundant supply in the collector market. The print run for this 1941 issue was substantial, and the note survives in reasonable quantities today. While higher grades (PMG 65-66) achieve premium prices ($94-$201), Fair grade examples like the specimen described consistently sell for $4-$13, confirming common status.

Issued during the Vichy French period in North Africa, this 1941 note reflects the colonial administration's representation of Algeria through romanticized imagery of local populations and allegorical representations of commerce or prosperity. The dual French and Arabic inscriptions on the reverse acknowledge the bilingual financial administration required in the colonial territory, while the fortress and lighthouse depicted in the cityscape likely represent Algerian coastal fortifications and trading infrastructure under French control.

The obverse features a portrait of a Maghrebi woman wearing a traditional white haik (headscarf) with beaded necklace adornment, positioned in an ornate oval frame on the right side of the note. She faces forward in a formal, dignified pose typical of colonial-era banknote portraiture. The denomination '5' appears prominently in circular red badges on both left and right margins. The reverse depicts an allegorical female figure in flowing classical Greco-Roman robes, standing in the center-right holding a palm frond, symbolizing prosperity or victory. To the left, an urban landscape renders Algerian coastal architecture including a lighthouse or minaret tower and fortified buildings suggesting a trading port. The entire note is framed by ornate Art Deco-influenced decorative borders incorporating geometric and floral arabesque patterns in red and blue. Both sides feature the bilingual text reflecting the Franco-Algerian colonial administration.

FRONT: Banque de l'Algérie (Bank of Algeria) | Cinq Francs (Five Francs) | Le Secrétaire Général (The General Secretary) | Le Cassier Principal (The Principal Cashier) | L'article 139 du Code Pénal punit des travaux forcés à perpétuité le contrefacteur (Article 139 of the Penal Code punishes counterfeiting with forced labor for life) | Date marking: B.26-8-1941.B (26 August 1941) | Serial number components: A.5419, 307 | Deloche & Cie (Printer attribution). BACK: Banque de l'Algérie (Bank of Algeria) | مصرف الجزائر الجديد (Bank of Algeria in Arabic)

Intaglio engraving, the standard security printing method for banknotes of this era. The fine line work, intricate borders, detailed architectural rendering, and complex allegorical figure engraving visible throughout are characteristic of high-quality intaglio production. The note was produced by Deloche & Cie, a respected French security printer. The multiple signature panels and security text regarding counterfeiting penalties are typical of official intaglio banknote production from the 1940s.

This specimen is catalogued as Pick P-77b, the variant with woman's head watermark (as opposed to P-77a, which shares the same watermark classification in PMG records, suggesting these may be minor printing variants or signature differences). The specific date of 26 August 1941 (visible as B.26-8-1941.B) falls within the known 1941 issue period and the serial number A.5419-307 indicates mid-range production run numbering. Four signatures are visible as documented in market references, consistent with official Banque de l'Algérie authorization signatures of the period. No significant overprints or errors are apparent on this example.