About :#79 - 50 francs Purple Type 1912

Algeria. French administration. Bank of Algeria. Creation date: 01-08-1913. Work by Georges Duval and engraving by Romagnol. Dimensions: 170 x 110 mm. Watermark: profile of a Moorish woman in a large medallion on the left. In a small medallion on the right: Arabic inscription in a crescent. Front and back: polychrome print, predominantly purple and blue. Description of the front: in the foreground on the right, the smallest watermark in an octagonal medallion placed on an agave and a Doum palm. Behind, the great mosque of Algiers and its minaret dominate a distant view of the white city and its bay in the center. The wording of the issuing institute "BANQUE DE L'ALGÉRIE", the value "CINQUANTE FRANCS" and the date of issue are printed in dark purple in the center at the top. The signatures, numbering and date of issue are printed in black. On the left, the largest watermark in a medallion decorated with arabesques is placed on a prickly pear. Only one type of signature known with The Principal Cashier, Biron and The Secretary General, Moyse. Back description: large blue frame decorated with arabesques. On the left, a child, naked and from the back, picks oranges while looking at an elegant young Algerian woman spinning spindle wool. In the upper right edge, the value "50" is printed in purple. In the center at the bottom, a large basket overflows with harvested fruit. Bottom right, article 139 of the Penal Code is printed in purple in a yellow cartridge. This 50 franc Type 1912 note was abandoned because it could be confused with the 100 francs Violet Type 1920! The specimen is known signed Biron / Moyse, dated and numbered. Another specimen is known unsigned, undated, unnumbered and perforated "SPECIMEN" horizontally. A pair of single-sided proofs with large margins of the final type, pasted on a sheet of paper, undated, unsigned and unnumbered, were sold in AU grade at € 2000 by cgb.fr, Paper-Money Catalog # 18 of 2011 (lot # p18_0163). A single-sided proof with large margins and including the two signatures of Duval and Romagnol, was sold in UNC grade at € 1350 by cgb.fr, Paper-Money Catalog # 18 of 2011 (lot # p18_0165). The issued note is very rare. Known dates: 18-08-1913, 22-08-1913, 11-09-1913, 17-09-1913 and 20-09-1913. The date 01-08-1913 is only mentioned in the archives! (Source: F. Virecoulon).