Banque Française pour le Commerce et l`Industrie

This poster of the Banque Française pour le Commerce et l’Industrie, titled “Increase the value of the franc, subscribe to the loan,” invites the bank’s clientele to contribute to the fight against inflation following the war expenditures. On the large assay type balance, the Gaul in arms, emblem of the Nation, is protected by a one franc coin with a woman sowing seeds stamped on its face as a shield. As a colourful crowd fills with their savings the Phrygian cap that serves as a tray, the warrior retreats from the dark waters without falling.

The Banque Française pour le Commerce et l’Industrie (BFCI), created in 1901 by Maurice Rouvier, is an ambitious institution oriented towards international industrial investments. In particular, it was involved in creating the Compagnie Générale d’Electricité, which subsequently became the Alcatel Group. In 1922, the BFCI merged with the Banque Nationale de Crédit (BNC), which became the Banque Nationale pour le Commerce et l’Industrie (BNCI) in 1932.