The Banque de France introduced the 500 francs with Marie and Pierre Curie in 1995 — the very year the couple’s remains were transferred to the Panthéon. The issuer itself calls this issue «a first in the history of women in science».

The road to this note took more than twenty years. The artist Lucien Fontanarosa made the first sketches of the Curies for the bank as early as 1972, and in 1979 their portraits were proposed for the 200 and 20 francs: the first project was rejected on aesthetic grounds, the second because the denomination seemed too modest for scientists of such stature.

The front bears the portraits of Pierre and Marie Curie, the back shows laboratory instruments, and held up to the light the note reveals a watermark portrait of Marie. The series it belongs to was created by the Swiss artist Roger Pfund. The catalogue places the 1994-dated example in the first variety of the type, P160a.

The note belongs to the last series of the French franc. After the switch to the euro it ceased to be legal tender in February 2002, and the Banque de France exchanged it until 17 February 2012 inclusive — a right kept only by the five last notes: 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 francs.

In a franc collection this is the highest denomination of the last series before the euro, and in a «science on banknotes» set it is the note on which the scientist couple appear together. XF condition means light signs of circulation: no more than three light folds, with crisp, clean paper.

You can compare this banknote with the country’s other issues in the VPcoins catalogue.