The last series of Belgian franc notes

In 2002, Belgium was one of the twelve countries that introduced the euro banknotes and coins. With their arrival, the familiar Belgian francs disappeared permanently from our wallets after 170 years. This article focuses on the last series of Belgian franc banknotes. Although some Belgian people still convert prices into francs, the notes themselves seem to have been forgotten already.

The last series of banknotes was put into circulation between the years 1994 and 1998. The National Bank had become used to depicting realistic portraits of famous Belgians on its earlier series of notes. Because this required meticulous elaboration, the notes were made more difficult to forge and, moreover, they highlighted the cultural wealth of the country. Like previous series, this last series once again featured Belgian personalities. This time, the honour was reserved for artists whose work had strongly influenced the 20th century. Among those selected were painter James Ensor, musical instrument maker Adolphe Sax, the artist René Magritte, painter-sculptor Constant Permeke and architect Victor Horta. The 10 000 BEF note bears the portrait of the royal couple. The designs were made by draughtsmen and engravers from the National Bank’s Printing Works. The words draughtsman and engraver were always mentioned on the note, followed by “inv.” (draughtsman) and “sculp.” (engraver).

This 10 000-franc note meant the end of the 5 000-franc denomination, which disappeared in 1994, when the 2 000-franc note, the first of the new series, was introduced. It was Victor Horta who was given the honour of becoming the face of this brand-new denomination. As he was a prominent Art Nouveau architect, the note was designed in this style, too. The typical elements refer to his total works of art, such as the Solvay House in Brussels and Villa Carpentier in Renaix. One year later, the 100-franc note was put into circulation. This note broke with the tradition of banknotes having to be illustrations of sobriety, virtuousness and diligence. This banknote is actually devoted to the symbolist painter James Ensor, who is widely known for his satirical and critical view of reality. The note features clear references to Ensor's native town Ostend, his love of the sea and his works of art. In 1996, the National Bank again came up with a bold new banknote, by putting the 200 BEF note into circulation, with the image of the inventor of the saxophone, Adolphe Sax. This banknote, too, highlights Sax's accomplishments and his native town Dinant. The Sax note was unique both in terms of colour and value. 

Although the previous 10 000-franc note only dated from 1992, the National Bank nevertheless chose to replace it. Thus, in 1997, banknotes appeared bearing the portrait of the new royal couple, King Albert II and Queen Paola. Finally, one year later, the last banknote of the series was put into circulation. It was dedicated to the surrealist painter René Magritte. Just as with earlier banknotes, there are again references to the artist's works. The surrealist elements are therefore clearly depicted, and like many of the painter's works, the banknote evokes a confusing dimension. The door between the two images on the front not only refers to Magritte's works, it also adds another dimension. For instance, the door between the two images on the front of the note not only refer to Magritte’s work, but also seem to have an extra dimension: the door to the Belgian franc was soon to be locked and that of the euro opened. The keyhole in the lower right-hand corner constitutes the see-through register on the note. Thus, the technique perfectly fits the banknote's aesthetics.

Although these banknotes are no longer in circulation, there are still many of them in the possession of the general public. A little over 15 million banknotes have not yet been returned to the National Bank, some 10 million of which are 100-franc notes (figures as at 31/12/2020). These can still be exchanged at the National Bank, with no time limit. Who knows, a stack of James Ensor banknotes might turn up as a real treasure during spring cleaning!