Obligation et Action au Porteur - Paris France 1930

The 1930 green edition of the Paris-France bearer bond carries with it the weight of transition. Issued just after the Wall Street Crash of 1929, this certificate offered a lower interest rate of 4.5% on a 1000 franc investment. Its large denomination and Art Nouveau elegance were clearly aimed at attracting a wealthier clientele during a time of increasing economic instability.

Once again, the visual identity of the bond is entrusted to Alphonse Mucha, whose unmistakable style infuses the certificate with timeless grace. The central vignette is nearly identical to the earlier designs: five allegorical women in neoclassical attire, surrounded by cogwheels and industrial elements. Yet in this version, a vivid forest-green background lends a more austere and grounded mood—perhaps a subtle nod to the seriousness of the times.

Mucha, a Czech artist active in Paris, revolutionized advertising and design with his ornate, symbolic, and often mystical representations of women. While best known for his posters of Sarah Bernhardt and commercial advertising for products like Job cigarette papers or Moët & Chandon, he was deeply committed to elevating applied art to the level of fine art—a belief clearly reflected in his work for these bonds.

Department stores - Economy - Mode

Chaix printing in Paris

Good condition