This 1927 Obligation au Porteur is a financial document that represents a bearer bond issued by the department store company Paris-France, a flourishing French retail enterprise of the early 20th century. It granted the holder the right to interest payments at a rate of 6%, printed alongside a full sheet of detachable coupons—a format typical of the time. These coupons would have been clipped and exchanged at regular intervals to collect interest, much like dividends today.
What elevates this bond beyond mere financial function is its stunning Art Nouveau design by Alphonse Mucha, one of the most influential graphic artists of the Belle Époque. Mucha’s composition, engraved in a warm sepia-brown tone, features a group of allegorical female figures representing ideals such as Commerce, Industry, and Prosperity. These women are framed by elegant curvilinear forms and mechanical motifs, including gears and levers—an homage to the industrial strength of post-WWI France.
Issued during a decade of economic optimism before the 1929 crash, this bond embodies the convergence of art, commerce, and national pride. Mucha’s design reminds us that even financial instruments were seen as opportunities for artistic expression and aesthetic enrichment.
Department stores - Economy - Mode
Chaix printing in Paris
Very good state
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