France 200 Francs Banknote, 1996, P-159a.2, UNC

The 200 French franc banknote, released in 1996, is part of the last series of franc notes released by the Banque de France before adopting the euro. The note highlights the civil engineer Gustave Eiffel and his notable works, with his photograph taken by Felix Nadar being heavily featured in the notes obverse side, along with a stylized image of the Eiffel tower and the Garabit viaduct. The notes reverse side depicts a scene at the Exposition Universelle of 1889, with the base of the Eiffel Tower and Champ-de-Mars in the foreground and the Palais des Beaux-Arts in the background. The note is 145 mm long and 80 mm wide and has Gustave Eiffel as its watermark.