25 francs 1942

Common. The eBay price data for this Pick number shows consistent trading in the $5-$25 range for VF-graded examples over more than a decade of sales records, with VF specimens regularly appearing in auctions at modest prices. The 2016 catalog value of $15 for VF corresponds to current market activity. While professionally graded PMG examples in higher grades (65+) command premiums ($110-$130), the circulated VF grade represented here is a standard market offering with regular supply. No historical evidence suggests limited print runs or special scarcity for this particular issue.

This note was issued during World War II under French colonial administration in West Africa, a period when the Banque de l'Afrique Occidentale maintained currency control across French territories. The tropical imagery—specifically the palm trees and landscape vignette on the reverse—reflects the colonial-era artistic conventions of depicting Africa's natural resources and exotic appeal to European audiences. The December 1942 date places this issue during the transitional period of French colonial power in Africa, before the post-war decolonization movements would reshape the continent's political landscape.

The obverse features a left-facing portrait of an African man with traditional braided headwear and beaded necklace contained within an oval frame, rendered against a pale green/cream background with black ornamental borders and fine scrollwork in all four corners. The design emphasizes classical European banknote aesthetics with its ornate floral motifs and decorative filigree. The reverse depicts a tropical landscape vignette centered on the note showing palm trees silhouetted against a stylized sunset or seascape, rendered in blue and tan tones within an ornate rectangular frame. This landscape imagery was typical of French colonial banknote design, intended to evoke the exotic colonial territories under French administration. Both sides display denomination numerals in all four corners and incorporate repeating text patterns as background security measures.

FRONT: 'Banque de l'Afrique Occidentale' (Bank of West Africa); '25' and 'Vingt-Cinq Francs' (Twenty-Five Francs) in all four corners; Serial number '0617344'; Block letter 'H' at upper left and right; 'Le Secrétaire Général' (The Secretary General) and 'Le Contrôleur Général' (The General Controller) at signature lines; 'L'Article 139 du Code Pénal punit des travaux forcés à perpétuité le contrefacteur' (Article 139 of the Penal Code punishes counterfeiting with perpetual hard labor); 'E.A. Wright Bank Note Co. Phila.' (printer attribution). BACK: 'Banque de l'Afrique Occidentale' (Bank of West Africa); '25' and 'Vingt-Cinq Francs' (Twenty-Five Francs) in all four corners; '14 Décembre 1942' (14 December 1942); 'E.A. Wright Bank Note Co. Phila.' (printer attribution).

This note was produced using traditional steel engraving and intaglio printing methods by E.A. Wright Bank Note Company of Philadelphia, one of the premier American security printers of the era. The fine line work visible throughout the design, the precise denomination indicators, and the repeating text patterns characteristic of security printing all confirm high-quality engraved plate production. The two-color printing scheme (black and green on the obverse; blue and tan on the reverse) was achieved through separate plate passes, a standard technique for banknote production of this period.

This note is identified as Pick 30a based on the visual observation of block letters ('H') positioned at the upper left and right of the note, with the serial number '0617344' located at center. The PMG population reports five cataloged varieties for this base Pick number: P-30a (Letter at Upper L & R—matching this specimen), P-30b (Number at Lower L & Upper R), P-30bs (Number at Lower L & Upper R—specimen variant), P-30c (Without Serial Number), and P-30s (specimen). The letter 'H' and serial number positioning confirm this as the standard P-30a variety.