Banknotes of French Indochina

“When men die, they enter history. When statues die, they enter art. 
This botany of death is what we call culture.” 

- Statues Also Die | Les Statues Meurent Aussi (1953),
essay film by Alan Resnais, Chris Marker, Ghislain Cloquet

Why are the banknotes of Banque de l’Indochine

designed in that particular way?

Banknotes are not innocent at all, with only an economic purpose. Rather, banknotes are excessively effective tools to convey the authorities’ ideology since they circulate over large regions and are essential for everyday life. Hence, arguably the French colonizers, in order to form their world view, exerted power through iconographies on Banque de l’Indochine’s banknotes, with the French colonialism policy of association being in the foreground. Prior to the turn of the 20th century, French colonialism abode by the assimilation policy, which emphasized the superiority of French culture and civilization to justify their act of colonizing others. In this phase, the French took proud of their own culture and claimed their mission of civilization was significant to enlighten and advance other people to that state, with the ultimate aim to make them equal participants. Therefore, they coerced others, especially the local elites, to adopt their language, culture, and values. However, since the early of 20th century, according to the then dominant viewpoint of Social Darwinism with the core idea that only the fittest would survive in societies’ evolution, the French doctrine shifted from assimilation to association, that is, the (competitive) coexistence of different cultures where, of course, the French civilization would always prevail.

"The great virtue of this policy was proclaimed to lie in its simplicity,
flexibility, and practicality. Opposed to the rigidity and universalism of 
the condemned doctrine of assimilation, the policy of association 
emphasized the need for variation in colonial practice. One of its 
essential tenets was the idea that the determining factors in all colonial 
policy should be the geographic and ethnic characteristics and the state 
of social development of the particular region submitted to foreign 
control. Evolution of native groups along their own lines was the key." 
(Betts 1961, 106)

Under the light of Social Darwinism, there is no need to elevate the survival ability of the colonized, so the French stressed fraternity value instead of equality and “based on the acceptance of mutual interests” (Betts 1961, 120).

The iconographies on the banknotes reinforce the promotion of this belief system through three prominent characteristics. First, the portrayals of French figures suggest that French culture is superior to the Indochinese. The French usually stand higher than the native people or sit on a higher base, with protective and paternalistic gestures (e.g., spreading out the cloak, touching the shoulder of the Indochinese,…). It is uncertain to assert whether the female French figures on the banknotes are all images of Marianne. If those female figures resemble Marianne, the symbol of French liberty, then her images have been modified to incorporate different attributes of Greek/Roman gods and goddesses. For instance, Marianne either wears the iron helmet (symbol of Athena/Minerva) or holds the caduceus (symbol of Hermes/Mercury). However, it could be interpreted that Marianne, the representation of France, is not only the goddess of Liberty but also inherits the ancient wisdom and divine power for economic flourishing, rooted in the Greek and Roman cultures. Hence, the French colonizers are presented as the antiquity-continuing source of this comprehensive Enlightenment, in terms of values, strength, and prosperity.

Second, though the French and Indochinese figures are not equal, they depend on each other in a collaborative manner which will eventually bring fortune and prosperity (expressed through the abundant amount of agricultural products and the fact that the iconographies are imprinted on money). Lastly, the dominant language is French (on the obverse) and the colonies’ languages are distributed together on the reverse. That might add to the idea that the focal point is the motherland France which positively influences the regions of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

Nevertheless, promoting the idea of association does not mean that in reality, the French would act in the spirit of fraternity. The banknotes’ iconographies are solely the showcase on the surface to justify French colonization and enhance their image as bearing goodwill for the mutual development of the world.

Figure 1. Information on banknote of French Indochina in Museum of Ho Chi Minh City (A)

Figure 2. Information on banknote of French Indochina in Museum of Ho Chi Minh City (B)

Figure 3. Information on banknote of French Indochina in Museum of Ho Chi Minh City (C)

Figure 4. Information on banknote of French Indochina in Museum of Ho Chi Minh City (D)

The banknotes are thus visible in the sense that their existence and overall development within the monetary history is made known to us. However, the individual banknotes are reduced to the function of decoration rather than a lens to look closely at their historical significance. There are merely a few small frames putting the name of the bank with the year of establishment and the date of the specific money’s issue, the denomination of banknotes in that period, and some vague description of all the banknotes. In contrast, the North of Vietnam’s process of issuing money is designed more carefully and much more informative with supporting evidence (i.e., the display of regulatory documents that ordered and sanctioned the legal use of banknotes and coins). The space becomes filled through the audio documentary narrating the history and collections of Vietnam currency since the feudal period. However, the particular and notable period of French colonization is summarized in only a few sentences without mentioning the roles and ideology of those banknote and coin iconographies.

But the lack of information on the French colonial period in the currency room is not a single case. It is interesting that this museum utilizes the former Palace of Deputy Governor-General of French Indochina to narrate the history, geography, culture, and ethnicity of Ho Chi Minh City. Nonetheless, except for the room “Đấu tranh Cách mạng 1930–1954” – “ Revolutionary Struggles”, other rooms provide little information about the French colonial period. Even in the thematic room of Revolutionary Struggles, the information boards focus on the spirit of the Vietnamese people and the formation and significant role of the Communist Party in leading the liberation movement rather than the complex relationship between the French, Vietnamese, and, among others, Chinese people.

That conspicuous neglect can be explained with the ambivalent attitude towards history, the negotiation of how to tell about the past with the Vietnamese audience and foreigners simultaneously in the context of globalization (Sutherland 2005). The ambivalence expresses itself through the differences between the Vietnamese and English information given. For example, in figure 4, the English text excludes the last (Vietnamese) sentence which says: “With the view to reoccupying Indochina, the French colonizers established the government in the South, controlled some regions and founded the Institution of Emission of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam” (“Với âm mưu tái chiếm Đông Dương, thực dân Pháp lập ra chính phủ ở miền Nam, kiểm soát một số vùng và thành lập Viện phát hành Campuchia, Lào và Việt Nam”). Thus, the museum cannot eliminate the banknotes from the flow of history because the disruption would evoke questions, but the resolution is to frame them with limited information. To the untrained eyes, those banknotes can become a stimulation, yet provoking mainly the sense of an exotic, romanticized past that cannot return. The colonizing spirit behind the iconographies is, however, not narrated and remains hidden. The banknotes, thus, are both visible and invisible to us at the same time.

Coin of French Indochina

Coin of French Union

Stamp of French Indochina

1 dong - North Vietnam [1958]

200 dong - South Vietnam [1958]

Final thoughts

Images are a provocative lens for us to examine various aspects of our societies. We have seen how iconographies on banknotes of the Banque de l'Indochine reveal French colonial policy in the 20th century and how Vietnamese authorities present them to the public in the postcolonial context. What are other possible interpretations you could think of? Please share with us your reflection on those banknotes.

Furthermore, are you curious about:

• The ubiquitous presence of Marianne or "bà đầm xòe" in Vietnam during the French colonial period? Please visit the coins and stamps pages to read more.
• How patriotism is promoted differently in the South and North of Vietnam and in contemporary Vietnam? Please see the coins and banknotes of Vietnam after the French colonial period to find out.