5 francs 1947

Common. The Caisse Centrale de la France d'Outre-Mer issued extensively across all French overseas territories during the 1947-1960 period, and the 5 Francs denomination was the standard circulating note for everyday transactions in Réunion. No documented evidence of restricted print runs, early recalls, or supply shortages exists for this Pick number. These notes remain readily available in the collector market at modest prices, with AU examples trading in the $15-35 range depending on serial number interest and provenance, well below the threshold that would indicate rarity.

This note represents the immediate post-World War II period when France reasserted control over its overseas territories through the Caisse Centrale de la France d'Outre-Mer, the central treasury for all French overseas possessions. The prominent depiction of Bougainville and his ship 'La Boudeuse' celebrates France's 18th-century maritime exploration and colonial expansion into the Indian Ocean, while the reverse figure in traditional dress reflects the colonial ethnographic imagery typical of French overseas currency design from this era. The 1947 date marks the transition period when Réunion and other French colonies were reconstituting their economies following wartime disruption.

The obverse features a three-quarter portrait of Louis Antoine de Bougainville, the renowned 18th-century French naval officer and explorer, depicted in formal period dress with a white powdered wig, white cravat, and dark blue coat with gold embroidery and decorative orders. To his left is a detailed engraving of the multi-masted sailing ship 'La Boudeuse' (The Sulky), the famous vessel that carried Bougainville on his circumnavigation expedition (1766-1769), shown with full sails deployed on open water. The reverse depicts an indigenous or Creole woman of Réunion wearing traditional colonial-era dress: a red and white patterned head wrap (turban), a blue, red, and white geometric patterned outfit, and pearl beads or necklaces. Behind her is a romanticized tropical landscape characteristic of colonial imagery, featuring tall swaying palm trees, dense tropical vegetation, and colonial-era buildings with distinctive red/brown tile roofs and plantation structures visible on the right. The note is framed throughout with ornate decorative borders, and the denomination '5' appears in multiple corners in elaborate numerals. The fine line engraving technique creates intricate parallel line work throughout the design.

FRONT: 'LA REUNION' (The Reunion); 'CAISSE CENTRALE DE LA FRANCE D'OUTRE MER' (Central Treasury of Overseas France); 'CINQ FRANCS' (Five Francs); 'LE DIRECTEUR GÉNÉRAL' (The Director General); 'H.24' (reference code); 'G.A. KLEIN FEC.' (Designed/engraved by G.A. Klein); 'G. BELTRAND SC.' (Engraved/sculpted by G. Beltrand); Serial numbers including '0582682261' and '68261'. BACK: 'LA REUNION' (The Reunion); 'CAISSE CENTRALE DE LA FRANCE D'OUTRE-MER' (Central Treasury of Overseas France); 'ARTICLE 139 DU CODE PÉNAL PUNIT DES TRAVAUX FORCÉS CEUX QUI AURAIENT CONTREFAIT OU FALSIFIÉ LES BILLETS DE BANQUES AUTORISÉS PAR LA LOI' (Article 139 of the Penal Code punishes with hard labor those who would have counterfeited or falsified banknotes authorized by law); 'G.A. KLEIN FEC.' (Designed by G.A. Klein); 'A. CHAFON SC.' (Engraved by A. Chafon).

Intaglio (engraved) printing on cotton-fiber paper. The note exhibits classical banknote engraving by the credited artists G.A. Klein (fecit/designer) and dual sculptors G. Beltrand (front reverse) and A. Chafon (back reverse), indicating the work was produced by a major European security printer specializing in high-quality colonial currency. The fine parallel line engraving, ornate border work, and detailed portraiture are characteristic of 1940s French banknote production standards. The security printer was likely the Banque de France's official engraver or a contracted European security facility.

The PMG population report indicates two main cataloged variants exist: P-41a (standard) and P-41s (specimen). The examined note appears to be the P-41a standard circulation variety based on the absence of specimen overprints or markings. The serial number visible on this example (containing '0582682261' and '68261') does not indicate any special prefix or overprint variety. The 'H.24' reference code on the obverse is consistent with standard production codes from this issue period. No location overprints are visible on the margins, confirming this is the Réunion-specific variety (not the French Equatorial Africa P-20B variant noted in the external reference).