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Banknotes that are No Longer Legal Tender
Pursuant to the Act of 4 August 1993, which came into force on 1 January 1994, banknotes that are no longer legal tender after 1 January 1994 are still redeemable at all Banque de France branches for a period of ten years after the date on which they stopped being legal tender.
You can use the following solution to exchange your french banknotes :
by registered mail to :
Banque de France
Caisse Générale
- Service 18 -
10, Boulevard Duclaux
63407 Chamalières Cedex
France
- registered mail can only include redeemable banknotes (no coins allowed), - up to 5000€, - exchange against euro banknotes only, - the amount in rounded at the lower 5€ unit, - for current series of banknotes. You can also use commercial banks services, but in this case, you will probably support some fees.
Banknotes that stopped being legal tender before 1 January 1994 will no longer be reimbursed after 31 December 2003.
Non-redeemable Banknotes
The following denominations are not redeemable:
- all old 5-franc notes and above (100, 500, 1,000, 5,000 francs), issued by the Banque de France before 30 May 1945 and subject to obligatory exchange by virtue of an ordinance of the same date;
- old 5,000-franc notes of the "1942 type" issued on 4 June 1945, which stopped being legal tender following an Act of 30 January 1948.
By virtue of the two legal acts referred to above, the Banque de France paid the State the amount of the notes that were not exchanged and was exempted from redeeming denominations that were not presented within the given deadlines, i.e. from 4 to 15 June 1945, and from 31 January to 3 February 1948.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance declared that owing to the long lapse of time, notes would no longer be exchanged. The banknotes concerned should therefore be considered worthless.
Redeemable Notes
Banknotes Denominated in Old Francs
Banknotes withdrawn from circulation on 31 December 1971 and which were no longer legal tender after 1 January 1963. These banknotes are redeemable until 31 December 2003 :
100 old francs = 1 new franc.
| Denominations (old francs) | Type | Redeemable for (new francs) | Equivalent € |
| 5 old francs | 1871 | 0,05 new franc | 0,01 |
| 5 old francs | 1905 | 0,05 new franc | 0,01 |
| 5 old francs | 1917 Women with a Helmet | 0,05 new franc | 0,01 |
| 5 old francs | 1943 Pyrenean Shepherd | 0,05 new franc | 0,01 |
| 10 old francs | 1915 Minerva | 0,10 new franc | 0,02 |
| 10 old francs | 1941 Miner | 0,10 new franc | 0,02 |
| 20 old francs | 1873 | 0,20 new franc | 0,03 |
| 20 old francs | 1905 | 0,20 new franc | 0,03 |
| 20 old francs | 1916 Bayard | 0,20 new franc | 0,03 |
| 20 old francs | 1940 Labour and Science | 0,20 new franc | 0,03 |
| 20 old francs | 1942 Fisherman | 0,20 new franc | 0,03 |
| 50 old francs | 1946 Leverrier | 0,50 new franc | 0,08 |
| 100 old francs | 1945 Young Farmworker | 1 new franc | 0,15 |
| 300 old francs | 1938 Cérès | 3 new francs | 0,46 |
| 500 old francs | 1945 Chateaubriand | 5 new francs | 0,76 |
| 500 old francs | 1953 Victor Hugo | 5 new francs | 0,76 |
| 500 old francs | 1953 Victor Hugo over printed | 5 new francs | 0,76 |
| 1,000 old francs | 1945 Minerva and Hercules | 10 new francs | 1,52 |
| 1,000 old francs | 1953 Richelieu | 10 new francs | 1,52 |
| 1,000 old francs | 1953 Richelieu over printed | 10 new francs | 1,52 |
| 5,000 old francs | 1949 Land and Sea | 50 new francs | 7,62 |
| 5,000 old francs | 1957 Henri IV | 50 new francs | 7,62 |
| 5,000 old francs | 1957 Henri IV over printed | 50 new francs | 7,62 |
| 10,000 old francs | 1945 French Genius | 100 new francs | 15,24 |
| 10,000 old francs | 1955 Bonaparte | 100 new francs | 15,24 |
| 10,000 old francs | 1955 Bonaparte over printed | 100 new francs | 15,24 |
Banknotes Denominated in Old Francs Produced Abroad
These banknotes are redeemable until 31 December 2003:
100 old francs = 1 new franc.
| Denominations | Type | Redeemable for | Equivalent € |
| 2 old francs | 1944 | 0.02 new franc | N.A. |
| 5 old francs | 1944 | 0.05 new franc | 0,01 |
| 10 old francs | 1944 | 0.10 new franc | 0,02 |
| American 50 old francs | 1944 | 0.50 new franc | 0,08 |
| American 100 old francs | 1944 | 1 new franc | 0,15 |
| American 1 000 old francs | 1944 | 10 new francs | 1,52 |
| English 500 old francs | 1945 Marianne de Dulac | 5 new francs | 0,76 |
| English 1 000 old francs | 1945 Marianne de Dulac | 10 new francs | 1,52 |
Banknotes Denominated in New Francs
These banknotes are redeemable until 31 December 2003.
| Denominations | Type | Equivalent € |
| 5 new francs | 1959 Victor Hugo | 0,76 |
| 10 new francs | 1959 Richelieu | 1,52 |
| 50 new francs | 1959 Henri IV | 7,62 |
| 100 new francs | 1959 Bonaparte | 15,24 |
| 500 new francs | 1959 Molière | 76,22 |
Banknotes Denominated in Francs
| Denominations | Type | Redeemable Until | Equivalent € |
| 5 francs | 1966 Pasteur | 31 December 2003 | 0,76 |
| 10 francs | 1963 Voltaire | 31 December 2003 | 1,52 |
| 10 francs | 1972 Berlioz | 31 December 2003 | 1,52 |
| 20 francs | 1980 Debussy | 17 February 2012 | 3,05 |
| 50 francs | 1962 Racine | 31 December 2003 | 7,62 |
| 50 francs | 1976 Quentin de la Tour | 30 November 2005 | 7,62 |
| 50 francs | 1993 St Exupéry | 17 February 2012 | 7,62 |
| 100 francs | 1964 Corneille | 31 December 2003 | 15,24 |
| 100 francs | 1978 Delacroix | 31 January 2009 | 15,24 |
| 100 francs | 1997 Cézanne | 17 February 2012 | 15,24 |
| 200 francs | 1981 Montesquieu | 31 March 2008 | 30,49 |
| 200 francs | 1995 Eiffel | 17 February 2012 | 30,49 |
| 500 francs | 1968 Pascal | 28 February 2007 | 76,22 |
| 500 francs | 1993 Pierre et Marie Curie | 17 February 2012 | 76,22 |