5 francs 1947

Common. The 1947 Guadeloupe 5 Francs was issued in substantial quantities by the Caisse Centrale de la France d'Outre-Mer during the 1947-1949 period. No evidence of short print runs, recalls, or scarcity in the numismatic record exists for Pick P-31. While UNC examples command modest premiums over circulated examples, the note itself remains readily available in the collector market.

This banknote was issued during the immediate post-World War II period (1947-1949) when French Overseas territories were reasserting economic control through the Caisse Centrale de la France d'Outre-Mer. The obverse honors Louis Antoine de Bougainville, the 18th-century French explorer whose circumnavigation expedition (1766-1769) aboard 'La Boudeuse' represented French colonial maritime expansion. The reverse's depiction of tropical plantation agriculture with indigenous labor reflects the economic basis of colonial Guadeloupe during this period.

The obverse presents a classical colonial composition: Louis Antoine de Bougainville (1729-1811), the celebrated French explorer, in 18th-century formal dress with powdered hair, blue coat with yellow embroidered trim, and holding a white handkerchief, is positioned on the right. To the left is his three-masted ship 'La Boudeuse,' rendered with detailed sails in yellow-gold tones on calm waters—the vessel that carried him around the world and lent its name to the Bougainvillea plant he introduced to Europe. The reverse depicts a woman in traditional Caribbean dress (madras headwrap in red and white checks, blue garment with red geometric embroidery) holding tropical fruits (pineapple and bananas), set against a plantation landscape with palm trees, mountains, and a colonial-era plantation building with red roof. This iconography celebrates both French maritime achievement and the tropical agricultural wealth of Guadeloupe.

{"front":{"GUADELOUPE":"Guadeloupe","CAISSE CENTRALE DE LA FRANCE D'OUTRE MER":"Central Treasury of Overseas France","CINQ FRANCS":"Five Francs","LE DIRECTEUR GÉNÉRAL":"The General Director","G. A. KLEIN FEC.":"G. A. Klein made it (artist signature)","G. BELTRAND SC.":"G. Beltrand engraved it (engraver signature)","serialNumber":"05668375.9 / 83759","reference":"R.23"},"back":{"GUADELOUPE":"Guadeloupe","CAISSE CENTRALE DE LA GUADELOUPE":"Central Treasury of Guadeloupe","FRANCE D'OUTRE-MER":"Overseas France","denomination":"5 Francs","legalWarning":"Article 139 of the Penal Code punishes with forced labor those who would have counterfeited or falsified banknotes authorized by law","G. A. KLEIN FEC.":"G. A. Klein made it (artist signature)","A. CHAPON SC.":"A. Chapon engraved it (engraver signature)"}}

Intaglio engraving (line engraving), characteristic of high-value French colonial currency of the period. The fine line work visible throughout the note, combined with the depth and detail in both the maritime scene and portraiture, indicates classical bank note engraving production. The signatures of engravers G. Beltrand (obverse) and A. Chapon (reverse) confirm the traditional engraving method employed by the French state printing authority.

The specimen examined appears to be the standard P-31 variety with Sailing Ship watermark. The PMG population report indicates two cataloged variants (P-31 and P-31s), with the 's' designation typically indicating a specimen note. This example displays a standard serial number (05668375.9) with no overprints or special markings, confirming it as a regular issue note rather than a specimen or special variant. The 'R.23' reference marking and artist/engraver signatures (Klein/Beltrand on obverse; Klein/Chapon on reverse) are consistent with the standard P-31 printing.