Coins and Banknotes of Vietnam
and French Indochina

French Indochina 50 Cents 1939

Face:

denomination;
Text:
Gouvernement Général de l'Indochine = General Government of Indochina;
PAYABLES AU PORTEUR EN INDOCHINE EN ESPÈCES = Payable to bearer in Indochina in cash;
G. BARRIERE [artist: Georges Barrière]; IDEO. HANOI [printer];

Back:

Vietnamese woman; denomination;
Text:
៥០ សេន = 五毛 = NĂM MƯƠI XU = ໕໐ ອັດ (except P-87a) = 50 cents;

No watermark

All notes below were scanned on the same scanner with the same image settings to demonstrate the subtle difference of the color shades.

P-87a 50 Cents 1939

Face:


LE TRÉSORIER PAYEUR GÉNÉRAL = Chief Treasurer
[signature: Emile Henry];
LE DIRECTEUR DES FINANCES = Director of Finance
[signature: Yves Cazaux];

Back:

no Lao text;
L'ART 139 DU CODE PÉNAL PUNIT DES TRAVAUX FORCÉS CEUX QUI AURONT CONTREFAIT OU FALSIFIÉ LES BILLETS DE BANQUES AUTORISÉES PAR LA LOI
= Art. 139 of Penal Code punishes with the life-term forced labour those who counterfeit or falsify the bills of the banks authorized by the Law
French Indochina banknote 50 Cents 1939, faceFrench Indochina banknote 50 Cents 1939, back

P-87c 50 Cents 1939

Face:


LE TRÉSORIER GÉNÉRAL = Chief Treasurer
[signature: Louis Mayet];
LE DIRECTEUR DES FINANCES = Director of Finance
[signature: Yves Cazaux];

Back:


L'ART 139 DU CODE PÉNAL PUNIT DES TRAVAUX FORCÉS A PERPÉTUITÉ CEUX QUI AURONT CONTREFAIT OU FALSIFIÉ LES BILLETS ÉMIS PAR LE TRÉSOR PUBLIC
= Art. 139 of Penal Code punishes with the life-term forced labour those who counterfeit or falsify the bills issued by the Public Treasury
French Indochina banknote 50 Cents 1939, faceFrench Indochina banknote 50 Cents 1939, back

P-87d 50 Cents 1939, white paper

Face:


LE TRÉSORIER GÉNÉRAL = Chief Treasurer
[signature: Louis Mayet];
LE DIRECTEUR DES FINANCES = Director of Finance
[signature: Jean Cousin];

Back:

as above
French Indochina banknote 50 Cents 1939, faceFrench Indochina banknote 50 Cents 1939, back

P-87d 50 Cents 1939, brown paper

Face/Back:

as above
French Indochina banknote 50 Cents 1939, faceFrench Indochina banknote 50 Cents 1939, back

P-87e 50 Cents 1939 "Coffee-Brown"(*), brown paper

(*) described as "Coffee-Brown & Black" in the catalogs, but there is no "Black" on a closer look.

Face/Back:

as above
French Indochina banknote 50 Cents 1939 Coffee-Brown, faceFrench Indochina banknote 50 Cents 1939 Coffee-Brown, back

P-87e 50 Cents 1939 "Coffee-Brown", white paper

Face/Back:

as above
French Indochina banknote 50 Cents 1939, faceFrench Indochina banknote 50 Cents 1939, back