France - Bank of France

The notes denominated in francs are undoubtedly one of the finest fiduciary achievements in the world. These notes circulated on French territory for more than two hundred years, from 1795 to 2002, the date of the changeover to the European currency. When the Bank of France was created in 1800 under the leadership of Bonaparte, the French had already been confronted with issues of paper money, such as the Monnoye notes, the Estat banknotes, the Bank of Law, then the period of Assignats and territorial mandates. These latest issues all end up in financial failures and throw a huge disrepute on the very concept of the banknote as currency. From these painful experiences, the privilege of issue is then entrusted exclusively to the Bank of France, which will then cease, through its motto "wisdom sets the fortune," to restore over time this confidence lost. Thus, from the beginning, the institute manufactures its paper, designs, secures and prints its notes using manufacturing processes that will evolve continuously during the different periods of the history of French paper money!