Description and research notes
Small‑change assignat issued by the Revolutionary government for the sale and administration of the 'Domaines Nationaux'—property confiscated from the Crown, Church and émigrés. These fractional notes functioned as day‑to‑day money during the inflationary years of the Revolution.
The face shows the typographic layout introduced for the small denominations: a classical frame with civic emblems and the famous border mottos 'LA LOI PUNIT DE MORT LE CONTREFACTEUR' and 'LA NATION RÉCOMPENSE LE DÉNONCIATEUR'. At the base sits a triangular medallion with the Phrygian cap and value, while a large blind‑embossed (timbre sec) seal provides non‑inked security.
Technical features include the 1793 date line (Loi du 23 Mai 1793), 'Série 305' (Block 305), the manuscript signature 'Guyon', and a dedicated watermark reading 'RF' above the denomination—here 'Xs' for 10 sous (one sous = one sol; 20 sols = 1 livre). The combination of watermark, embossing, and legal threats reflects the regime’s push to deter pervasive counterfeiting.
PMG 65 EPQ Gem Uncirculated, exceptional paper originality and crisp, fully struck embossing—an elite survivor of a note type that generally circulated hard before the 1796 demonetization.