Museum of the National Bank of Belgium

In 1869, nearly 20 years after its foundation, the National Bank of Belgium first saw big-themed bank notes roll off the presses. Their recognition value to the general populace and the level of detail put in by their creators quickly turned these drawings into a key weapon in combating forgery. The iconography also had a symbolic, nation-building purpose, and in Belgium its allegories and images typically captured the aspirations and successes of the nation state. This ‘In the Spotlight’ provides a snapshot of the way in which the National Bank has portrayed the fatherland on its franc banknotes over time.