France 100 Francs 1998 P-158a VF – Paul Cézanne

📸 Please Note: We have many of these banknotes in stock. The exact serial numbers and specific wear patterns will vary from the photographs, but the described condition and overall quality remain exactly the same.

Carry a Cézanne in your wallet: this 100 Francs note turns the father of modern painting and his famous still life of apples into a banknote. Issued in the final years of the French franc, it is one of the most artistic notes France ever printed.

⚡ Extreme Index: 5.1 / 10
Why it's extreme: One of the last franc notes before the euro – a pocket-sized Cézanne gallery by designer Roger Pfund.

• History & drama (30%): 6/10
• Scarcity (25%): 2.8/10 (Numista rarity index 10/100)
• Wow factor (20%): 7/10
• Age (15%): 4/10
• Condition (10%): 6/10

The Extreme Index is Extreme Banknotes' own collector score based on history, scarcity, curiosity, age and condition — it is not a valuation or investment rating.

📦 Included Banknote(s):

1. 1998 France 100 Francs (P-158a)

📖 History and Significance:
The 100 Francs Cézanne note was introduced by the Banque de France in 1997 as part of the last series of franc banknotes, which also honoured Saint-Exupéry, Gustave Eiffel and Pierre and Marie Curie. Paul Cézanne (1839–1906) was a Post-Impressionist painter from Aix-en-Provence whose work paved the way for Cubism and modern art. The series was designed by Swiss designer Roger Pfund and packed with new security features, including a foil strip and colour-shifting ink. When the euro arrived in 2002, the franc notes were withdrawn, and the Cézanne note could be exchanged at the Banque de France until 17 February 2012. Today it is a favourite with collectors of art-themed and pre-euro banknotes.

🎨 Design Details:
Front: Portrait of Paul Cézanne against a background inspired by his painting of the sea at L'Estaque, with Jas de Bouffan, his family home near Aix-en-Provence, and figures from The Card Players.
Back: An interpretation of his still life of apples and biscuits, a colour wheel and a detail from The Card Players.

🔍 Numismatic Features:

• Size: 133 × 80 mm
• Material: Paper
• Type: Circulating banknote (withdrawn)
• Currency: French franc
• Country: France
• Issuing Authority: Banque de France
• Date: 1998
• Designer: Roger Pfund
• Signatures: Bruneel, Bonnardin and Barroux
• Security: Cézanne watermark, foil strip, colour-shifting ink

✅ Condition Guide:
VF (Very Fine) / Circulated. Shows clear signs of circulation, such as several folds, minor edge wear and some loss of crispness, while remaining fully intact with clear design details. As we hold multiple examples, the note you receive may differ slightly from the one photographed, but will be in the same grade.