My 20 Francs banknote

Blog post 5
Kiki He

     The banknote I chose is a 20 francs banknote distributed in the 1940s. The two images on the banknote are very different from those images we would commonly see on our bills. Unlike the most banknotes that have images of famous individuals or notable landmarks on both sides, the banknote I chose shows the working scenes of ordinary people. On one side of the banknote, there is a fisherman pulling the fishing net. His hat, suit as well as his muscular arms are all symbols of his labor identity, showing his daily routine as a fisherman in 19th century France. On the other side of the banknote, there are two women and a little girl. The two women are holding baskets of fruits and vegetables. The elder woman in the picture is hugging the little girl as well. We can see they are all smiling in the picture, expressing their satisfaction and happiness. The background of the picture is a pretty and huge villa located near the sea. From this picture, based on the hats they wear and the baskets of food they are holding, I assume these two women might be servants in a wealthy family. 
     By comparing this version of 20 francs to banknotes of other versions, I found that this version is indeed very unique since it shows ordinary people’s life. The 20 francs banknote of 1990s has the image of Claude Debussy, a very influential French composer. In 1970s, the 10 francs banknote has the portrait of Voltaire, an influential French writer. Historically speaking, it is very rare to see pictures of ordinary labor’s working scenes on French banknotes. 
     In order to figure out the possible answers for why ordinary people would became the subjects of the banknote, I did some research on French history during 1940s and did find something interesting.
     The surrender of France in June 1940 was a major blow to many French people in terms of their pride. Many believed that the government had let the people down. The creation of Nazi approved Vichy government, primarily in the center and south of the country, was, in the minds of many, further proof that politicians had let down France. In the immediate aftermath of the June 1940 surrender, France went into a period of shock. Later on, there were numerous anti-German resistance movements that were based within France by groups of armed French men and women. The height of the Resistance happened in 1944 and there were 100,000 members of the various movements that existed in France. During the French Resistance, men and women with different occupations, social classes and ages came together to fight against the Nazi German occupation of France. In general, the French Resistance played a vital part in aiding the Allies to success in Western Europe, and those ordinary men and women were also contributors in this victory. 
     No matter whether or not the 20 Francs banknote was a way to show respect and gratefulness to all French labors, their contribution to the French Resistance was critical and worth remembering. It is always impressive to see how people with different occupations, social classes, political affiliations and religions come together with one shared goal and mission. Solidarity conquered prejudice, inequality as well as the enemy. 

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