FRANCE. Directory. Law of 28 Ventose An 4eme (March 18, 1796). Mandat territorial de 250 Francs. Signed and numbered, without Series number. Pick A85a. Printed in a delicate bistre to dark buff colored ink, described as ‘olive’ in the Standard Catalog. This piece was carefully preserved in an album, as evidenced by the paper hinge remnant at bottom. Interestingly, the paper upon which it is printed was taken from the National Lottery of the Republic, as evidenced by the watermark: ‘Loterie NATIONALE R. F.’ in script, with NATIONALE in bold capitals.
The Mandats Territorials were created by the directory as a currency instrument promising Royal and Church lands to the bearers. This series replaced the excessive issuance of the inflated assignats at a 1:10 Francs ratio. However, this new series proved to be easier to counterfeit and soon fell into disuse.
