Description and research notes
This photographic proof assembly of the one hundred francs note of Banque Internationale à Luxembourg S.A. represents a rare and highly informative record of sequential banknote design development. Rather than a single uniform proof, the mounted composition combines multiple design states within one archival piece, documenting the progression from early layout study to near-final engraved configuration several years prior to the issued 1956 note.
Two distinct face proofs are present, each corresponding to a different stage of refinement. The earlier state displays a softer and less resolved engraving structure, with lighter line density, incomplete compositional balance, and provisional placement of design elements. This stage reflects a foundational layout study used to establish the general visual framework of the note.
The second face proof represents a significantly more advanced stage. Engraving lines are sharper and more controlled, ornamental elements are proportionally aligned, and the overall composition reflects a near-final structural balance. At this stage, functional elements are fully integrated into the design, including the placement of signatures and the introduction of serial numbering on the obverse.
Notably, this advanced face retains a serial numbering system positioned on the front of the note, including a prefix and placeholder numbering in the form "A000000" placed above the signature area. This reflects a conventional banknote layout in which serial numbers are applied to the face. In contrast, the finalized 1956 issue and its corresponding photographic proofs relocate serial numbering entirely to the reverse, where it remains in the issued note. The presence of front-based numbering at this stage therefore documents a transitional design condition, demonstrating that the functional structure of the note had not yet reached its final configuration in 1951.
Accompanying the face studies is a reverse proof presenting the industrial tableau that would define the issued note. The composition, depicting workers, machinery, and architectural elements, is already structurally coherent and aligns in execution with the more advanced face state. While not explicitly linked through production records, the level of refinement suggests that it belongs to the later stage of the design sequence represented within the assembly.
Handwritten archival annotations are present on both sides of the assembly, with “28 July 1951” appearing on the front and “15 June 1951” on the reverse, documenting separate stages of internal review during the active design phase. These dated references firmly place the assembly within the development period, approximately five years prior to the finalized issue.
As a composite photographic proof assembly, this piece provides direct insight into both artistic and functional evolution, capturing not only changes in engraving quality and composition, but also a fundamental shift in the placement of serial numbering from face to reverse. It stands as the earliest documented stage of the Luxembourg 100 francs series within this collection, forming the foundation from which the 1956 photographic proofs and issued note would later emerge.