Red, brown, and olive 10 Francs Berlioz banknote from Banque de France, dated 7 February 1974: obverse with portrait of composer Hector Berlioz conducting an orchestra in the Chapelle des Invalides, holding a baton; reverse showing Berlioz at left with a guitar, musical instruments, and Rome's Villa Medici in the background; signatures Morant, Bouchet, Vergnes; serial in Alphabet P.16 format.

Banque de France 10 Francs Berlioz 1974 (7 Février) – Hector Berlioz Portrait (Fayette 63.3, Alphabet P.16)

Red, brown, and olive 10 Francs Berlioz banknote from Banque de France, dated 7 February 1974: obverse with portrait of composer Hector Berlioz conducting an orchestra in the Chapelle des Invalides, holding a baton; reverse showing Berlioz at left with a guitar, musical instruments, and Rome’s Villa Medici in the background; signatures Morant, Bouchet, Vergnes; serial in Alphabet P.16 format.

Price:

$ 16

Description

Issued 23 November 1972–3 October 1974 (this example 7 February 1974) by Banque de France; part of the 1972–1978 Berlioz series. Printed on paper, size approx. 75 × 140 mm. Main colors: red/brown/olive. Signatures: Hubert Morant (Secrétaire Général), Gilbert Bouchet (Contrôleur Général), Pierre Vergnes (Caissier Général).

Obverse: Hector Berlioz (1803–1869) portrait at right conducting orchestra in Chapelle des Invalides (Paris), baton in hand, architectural background.
Reverse: Berlioz at left holding guitar, musical instruments (e.g., harp), Rome’s Villa Medici (Académie de France à Rome) in background.
Features: Running serial numbers (Alphabet-letter format, e.g., P.16); watermark: right profile of Berlioz; no security thread. Withdrawn from circulation 31 December 1980; no longer legal tender (replaced by euro in 2002).