Belgian notes pre euro 02d - series 1978

5000 bef

It was in 1982, when a new 5000 belgian francs banknote was issued.
The fourth note in the 1978-1992 series.

On the note, the portrait of the flemish (dutch part of Belgium) poet Guido Gezelle is depicted.
Born and raised in Bruges in 1830, a few months before Belgium declared its independence.

Birth house of Gezelle, now museum

Since the split of 'the Netherlands' in Belgium and The Netherlands in 1830, Dutch was the official language in The Netherlands, but in the 19th century' Belgium, French was considered as the language for the 'educated' and Dutch as the language of the common people.
Gezelle had the unique ability to write poems in his monther tongue, but typically for the Dutch language, it was laced with dialect.
Therefore, the northern Dutch speakers considered his poems at first as 'too Flemish'.
On the other hand, the upcoming liberal political movement, described his poems as too 'religious'.
Because of this writings in Dutch, he is still considered as a father of the Flemish (language) movement.

photograph of Guido Gezelle

Gezelle mainly wrote about nature, friendship, religion and death.
He was rebelous and at times also controversial.
For a while he taught as poetry teacher in Kortrijk (B), where he wrote the poem 'dien Avond en die Rooze' (the Evening and the Rose) for his barely 18 year old pupil Eugeen van Oye.
Because of the controversial way of teaching, he was asked to leave Kortrijk in 1860. He retured to Bruges, where he stayed till 1872, when again his position became disputed.
He returned to Kortrijk, where he worked as a priest till he got ill in 1899.

His most known poem, 'het Schrijverke' (the Writer) from 1857, is not about a real writer, but about an insect, the Gyrinus Substratius (according Gezelle himself : Gryinus Natans).

O krinklende winklende waterding
Met 't zwarte kabotseken aan,
Wat zien ik toch geren uw kopke flink
Al schrijven op 't waterke gaan!
Gij leeft en gij roert en gij loopt zoo snel,
Al zie 'k u noch arrem noch been;
Gij wendt en gij weet uwen weg zoo wel,
Al zie 'k u geen ooge, geen één.
Wat waart, of wat zijt, of wat zult gij zijn?
Verklaar het en zeg het mij, toe!
Wat zijt gij toch, blinkende knopke fijn,
Dat nimmer van schrijven zijt moe?
Gij loopt over 't spegelend water klaar,
En 't water niet méér en verroert
Dan of het een gladdige windtje waar,
Dat stille over 't waterke voert.
O schrijverkes, schrijverkes zegt mij dan, -
Met twintigen zijt gij en meer,
En is er geen een die 't mij zeggen kan: -
Wat schrijft en wat schrijft gij zoo zeer?
Gij schrijft, en 't en staat in het water niet,
Gij schrijft, en 't is uit en 't is weg;
Geen Christen en weet er wat dat bediedt:
Och, schrijverke, zeg het mij, zeg!
Zijn 't visselkes daar ge van schrijven moet?
Zijn 't kruidekes daar ge van schrijft?
Zijn 't keikes of bladtjes of blomkes zoet,
Of 't water, waarop dat ge drijft?
Zijn 't vogelkes, kwietlende klachtgepiep,
Of is 'et het blauwe gewelf,
Dat onder en boven u blinkt, zoo diep,
Of is het u, schrijverken, zelf?
En 't krinklende winklende waterding,
Met 't zwarte kapoteken aan,
Het stelde en het rechtte zijne oorkes flink,
En 't bleef daar een stondeke staan:
‘Wij schrijven.’ zoo sprak het, ‘al krinklen af
Het gene onze Meester, weleer,
Ons makend en leerend, te schrijven gaf,
Eén lesse, niet min nochte meer;
Wij schrijven, en kunt gij die lesse toch
Niet lezen, en zijt gij zoo bot?
Wij schrijven, herschrijven en schrijven nog,
Den heiligen Name van God!’

Guido Gezelle, 1857 

the 'writer' : Gyrinus substratius

The banknote of 5000 belgian franks, is a beautifully designed note, but it was only shortly in use, as it seemed to be an 'easy' note to be falsified.

front side of 5000 belgian francs
Gezelle and stylised view of Bruges

reverse side of 5000 belgian francs
dragon fly, leaf and feather

This series of banknotes also has a 10,000 belgian francs note with king Baldwin and Queen Fabiola.

to be continued...

Belgian notes pre euro 02c - series 1978

1000 bef

The third  note in the 1978-1992 series is a 1000 belgian frank note (€ 24.79).
On this note we see the image of André Ernest Modeste Gretry (1741-1813).
At the time of his birth (and death), Belgium was not yet created. He was born in Liège, currently Belgium, but at the era of life and work of Gretry, part of the French empire.
Although he was born in 'Belgium', he spent most of his life in France. He was burried at Père-Lachaise (Paris) but according his last testemony, his heart was returned to Liège.

André Ernest Modeste Gretry

Gretry wrote not less than (comic) operas, of which L'amant Jaloux (the jealous lover), Richard Coeur de Lion (Richard Lionheart), Zémire et Azor (Zémire and Azor), are the most important.
Being a contemporary of Mozart, and working in the same business, was probably not easy.

His first opera, 'the Samnite weddings' (written in 1768, and reviewed in 1776) was no success at all, nevertheless, the great master himself, Mozart, took one aria out of this opera and wrote 8 variations on it.
see: 8 Variations on "Dieu d'amour", K. 352/374c : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73dMs1vOu6o

The 1000 belgian franc note, with french on the front side this time, shows the composer at a younger age.

1000 belgian francs - 1982 Gretry

At the reverse side we see some tuning forks, and 'views of the inner ear'.

1000 belgian francs back - 1982

The banknote exists with 5 different signature combinations.

to be continued...

Belgian notes pre euro 02b - series 1978

500 bef

The second banknote in the 1978-1992 series of belgian notes, depicts Constantin Meunier.
Meunier started his carreer as painter. At first his mayor topics were religious paintings and drawings.
When he was asked to make some illustrations of the life and work of the labourers in and around the belgian coal mines.
He was quite impressed by the hard work of the workers, in such a way that his art became more realistic. The upcoming social movement, to improve the life of the many workers at the end of the 19th century, brought him back to making sculptures. 

the 'miner' by C. Meunier

On the 500 bef-note, now with French on the front side, and Dutch on the reverse side, we see Constantin Meunier with the mine conveyor tower in his back.
The note exists, just like the 100 bef - note, with 2 different sets of signatures.

500 bef - Meunier - 1978

At the back side of the note, 5 circular ornaments are depicted.

reverse side of 500 bef - 1978

In 1957, a stamp of 3 bef was issued, with Constantin Meunier and Constant Permeke next to each other.
Permeke was the painter on the later 1000 bef note, see : http://rainbowstampsandcoins.blogspot.com/2021/01/belgian-notes-pre-euro-01d-series-1994.html .

1957 - Meunier and Permeke

to be continued...

Belgian notes pre euro 02a - series 1978

In 1951, King Baldwin became the king of the Belgians, after the adbication of this father Leopold II.
The first set of banknotes during his rule, were printed between 1961 and 1971.
This set will be presented later. The second set under his rule, was introduced in 1978 and stayed in circulation till 1994. (see : http://rainbowstampsandcoins.blogspot.com/2021/01/belgian-notes-pre-euro-01a-series-1994.html)

The set starts with a 100 belgian franks note. These notes (and all notes from 100 BEF and above) remain exchangable at the national bank of Belgium. 100 BEF = € 2.48.
Therefore these notes are still expensive to purchase. Unfortunately, the National Bank does not sell the old notes, just accepts them.

100 BEF

1978 - 100 bef (Beyaert)

The architect Hendrik (Henri) Beyaert is depicted on the first note of this series.
As a young man, he started to work in the national bank of Belgium in Kortrijk, the city where he was born. Shortly after, he became an apprentice mason, involved in the construction of the train station of Doornik (Tournai) in Belgium. His skills for designing brought him to study at the Royal Academy of fine Arts in Brussels. He graduated succesfully, and became the architect of the central building of the national bank in Brussels.
The 100 belgian franks note, has text in Dutch on the front of the note, and French on the back of the note.

reverse side of 100 bef - 1978

At the back side of the note, a geometric design is drawn.
There are 2 different signatures possible on the notes:

first set of signatures

second set of signatures

to be continued...