50 centimes 1944

Common. Secondary market eBay data over the past decade shows consistent sales ranging from $0.99 to $45, with the majority of transactions in the $5–$15 range. Even higher-graded examples (AUNC, EF) typically sell for $10–$20, indicating substantial production quantities and ready availability in the collector market. The 1944 50 centimes (Pick 41) was part of a regular emergency issue series for Morocco during WWII and remains widely circulated among collectors of French colonial and North African currency. The AU condition grade observed here commands moderate premiums but does not indicate rarity.

Issued on April 8, 1944, during the final year of World War II when French Morocco was under Vichy administration transitioning toward liberation, this emergency note represents the monetary infrastructure of the Empire Cherifien. The architectural imagery of the Kasbah of the Udayas on the reverse symbolizes Moroccan cultural heritage and the legitimacy of the Sheriffian Empire's authority, while the bilingual French-Arabic inscriptions reflect the colonial administrative structure of the French Protectorate period.

This 50 centimes note features a sophisticated two-color design (red/pink and cream/tan) with symmetrical ornamental borders composed of repeating floral and geometric patterns framing all sides of both obverse and reverse. The obverse emphasizes the denomination through large corner numerals and centered text 'CINQUANTE CENTIMES' with a decorative star symbol, incorporating bilingual French and Arabic inscriptions reflecting Morocco's cultural duality under French administration. The reverse showcases the Kasbah of the Udayas, the historic fortified gateway and kasbah complex in Rabat, depicted as crumbling stone structures with distinctive towers—a choice of imagery that reinforced the legitimacy and cultural authority of the Empire Cherifien during the war period. Corner ornaments and circular emblems appear on both sides, providing aesthetic balance and security elements typical of emergency wartime currency.

FRONT: 'EMPIRE CHERIFEN' / 'CINQUANTE CENTIMES' (Fifty Centimes) / 'DARIE DU 8 AVRIL 1944' (Dated 8 April 1944) / '1943' (year reference) / '50c' (denomination markers) / 'LE CONTREFACTEUR EST PUNI DE TRAVAUX FORÇES' (The counterfeiter is punished with forced labor) / 'L. SCHMITZ' (engraver signature) / 'الله يحفظ الملك والحماية' (God protects the King and the Protectorate - Arabic). BACK: 'EMPIRE CHERIFEN' (Cheriffian Empire) / 'BANQUE D'ETAT DE LA REPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE' (State Bank of the French Republic) / '50c' (denomination) / 'L. SCHMITZ' (engraver signature) / 'بنك الدولة للجمهورية الفرنسية' (State Bank of the French Republic - Arabic).

Intaglio (engraved line printing), as evidenced by the crisp, fine detail visible in the ornamental borders, architectural rendering of the Kasbah, and sharp inscription work. The printer L. Schmitz (referenced in the visual analysis as 'L. Schultz' in catalog data, likely the same person with variant spelling) executed the engraving work. The two-color printing (red/pink overprint on tan base) suggests sequential runs through the printing press, typical of interwar and WWII-era emergency currency production.

This note represents the standard 1944 issue variant cataloged as Pick 41. The visual analysis confirms the baseline characteristics: April 8, 1944 date, 'EMPIRE CHERIFEN' issuer designation, engraver L. Schmitz signature, and Kasbah of the Udayas reverse imagery. No overprints, color variants, or serial number prefixes are noted that would indicate a distinct sub-variety. PMG records indicate one cataloged variant for Pick 41, consistent with this being a straightforward regular-issue emergency banknote from the single 1944 production run.