2017-01-06 Fri

The Banque de l'Indochine or the Bank of Indochina was established in Paris on 21 January 1875. The main purpose of the bank was to operate in French territories in Indochina, the rest of Asia, and the Pacific.

It issued banknotes, not only in French territories but also in China and elsewhere. Up to World War II, the bank experienced three phases of development. From 1875 to 1888, it functioned as a colonial bank to help the French government manage its colonial properties in South-east Asia. Then from 1889 to 1900, the bank shifted its operations from French Indochina to China. Thereafter, from 1900 to 1941, the bank represented the interests of the French government in handling the Boxer indemnity and transacted international trade between France and China. It merged with Banque de Suez in 1974 to form Banque Indosuez, which was then purchased by the Credit Agricole group, which operated it as Credit Agricole Indosuez (CAI), until a 2004 merger with Crédit Lyonnais, which created Calyon.

One 100 Indochinese piastres banknote of 1921-1931, issued by the Bank of Indochina has on the obverse a large typically Chinese looking Incense Burner at right. The reverse has the bust of Joseph-François, Marquis Dupleix (1 January 1697 – 10 November 1763), Governor General of the French establishment in India, in the centre with the head of Greek goddess Persephone facing left in right bottom corner of the note. The watermark is a portrait of a native Asian male facing right and wearing a cap.