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Results for “french overseas territories”
Martinique 1870 Banque de la Martinique 1 franc unissued cheque, Saint-Pierre issue, unused condition

Martinique 1870 - Banque de la Martinique 1 Franc Unissued Cheque (Pick P.5A)

Printed by Claverie et Fils with engraved elements attributed to Reschérer, the cheque demonstrates the continued reliance on metropolitan French printers and engravers for colonial financial instruments. This practice ensured visual consistency, security quality, and institutional authority across France’s overseas territories. Read more →

MartiniqueUnissued Cheque18701 FrancUncirculated Unissued Cheque1 FrancBanque de la MartiniqueColonial Banking InstrumentFrench Colonial FinancePick P.5AColonial Banking HistoryFrench Overseas TerritoriesCaribbean Monetary History19th Century BankingDocumentary Financial InstrumentsSecurity Printing HistoryFrench Engraving TraditionMartinique1870Museum GradeR8 Extremely Rare
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Martinique 1870 Banque de la Martinique 1 franc cheque recovered from the ruins of Saint-Pierre after the 1902 Mount Pelée eruption, with contemporary handwritten provenance notes

Martinique 1870 - Banque de la Martinique 1 Franc Cheque Recovered After the 1902 Mount Pelée Eruption (Pick P.5A)

The printed face follows the established Banque de la Martinique cheque format, bearing the heading “Chèque sur la Banque de la Martinique,” internal control marking “B.P.F. 1,” and a printed acknowledgment of receipt for the sum of one franc, to be debited from the account of a named holder. The place of issue is Saint-Pierre, with a printed year line left incomplete, consistent with cheque forms intended to be dated at the time of use. Ornamental engraved borders composed of tropical flora frame the document, reflecting French metropolitan engraving conventions adapted for colonial financial instruments. Printer imprints at the lower margins attribute production to Claverie et Fils, with engraved elements credited to Reschérer. Read more →

MartiniqueDisaster Recovery Cheque18701 FrancVery Fine Disaster Recovery Cheque1 FrancBanque de la MartiniqueMount Pelee EruptionSaint Pierre DestructionColonial Bank RuinsPick P.5AColonial Banking HistoryFrench Overseas TerritoriesCaribbean Monetary HistoryNineteenth Century BankingDisaster Recovered ArtifactDocumentary Financial InstrumentsSecurity Printing HistoryFrench Engraving TraditionMartinique18701902Museum GradeR9 Extremely RareUniqueAnnotationsHandwritten Annotations
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French colonial treasury second of exchange dated 22 August 1871 for 2,000 francs, payable in New Caledonia, with printed text and manuscript treasury endorsements

New Caledonia 1871 - French Treasury Second of Exchange for 2,000 Francs (Service des Colonies)

The face presents a formal printed layout typical of French treasury paper of the period, combining engraved text with manuscript completion. It explicitly identifies the instrument as the second of exchange, issued alongside a corresponding first, each holding independent legal standing. This duplication was a deliberate safeguard against loss, delay, or interception during long-distance transmission between France and overseas territories.

French Colonial Administration
1918 Banque Belge pour l’Étranger Cairo branch issued cheque with Art Nouveau border and full branch list

Egypt 1918 - Banque Belge pour l’Étranger, Cairo Branch Issued Cheque

The guilloche work-consisting of wave-patterned borders, fine line engraving, and micro-text-matches the high-security printing standards used by Belgian and French engravers during the 1910s. Such designs were produced not only to prevent forgery but also to visually convey the bank’s reputation and financial solidity during a period of global instability. Even in wartime, foreign banks in Egypt adhered to European-style aesthetic and technical requirements for their negotiable instruments.

Overseas Banks
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