Banque de l'Algérie
| Company type | Public (nationalized in 1945) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Banking, Central banking |
| Founded | 1851 |
| Defunct | 1963 |
| Fate | Succeeded by Bank of Algeria (1962), French operations terminated |
| Headquarters | Algiers (original), Paris (from 1900) , French Algeria, France |
Area served | French Algeria, French protectorate of Tunisia (1904–1958) |
Key people | Édouard Lichtlin (first director), Gilles Warnier de Wailly (last governor) |
| Products | Currency issuance, central banking services |
The Banque de l'Algérie (), initially known as the Banque de l'Algérie et de la Tunisie between 1949 and 1958, was a French financial institution founded in 1851. It functioned as the central bank for French Algeria and, starting in 1904, also for the French protectorate of Tunisia until Tunisia gained independence. After Algerian independence in 1962, it was succeeded by the newly established Bank of Algeria (), and its French operations were terminated in 1963.
History
Established through legislation enacted under the French Second Republic on , the Banque de l'Algérie was granted exclusive rights to issue currency () within French Algeria, initially for a duration of twenty years. Its headquarters were originally located in Algiers, first on , before relocating in 1868 to a purpose-built facility on (later known as , currently ), where the contemporary Bank of Algeria continues to maintain offices.
In 1900, a legal act transferred its main office to Paris at 217, boulevard Saint-Germain, where it remained operational until its closure in 1963. This Parisian building currently serves as the premises for the .
The bank's exclusive issuance rights were extended to the French protectorate of Tunisia in 1904 after extensive negotiations and rivalry with the Banque de Tunisie. During World War I and following the establishment of the French protectorate in Morocco, Banque de l'Algérie banknotes were authorized as legal tender alongside currencies from Metropolitan France and Morocco. Although there were proposals for monetary integration across French North Africa under Banque de l'Algérie's authority, financial competition led to an arrangement whereby most monetary policy responsibilities in Morocco remained with the State Bank of Morocco.
Following World War II, on , the Banque de l'Algérie was nationalized by legislative decree. It adopted the name Banque de l'Algérie et de la Tunisie in January 1949 but reverted to its original designation on after Tunisia achieved independence and established the Central Bank of Tunisia.
Leadership
The head of the Banque de l'Algérie held various titles over time, including directeur-président, directeur, directeur général-président, and from 1949 onward, gouverneur.
- Édouard Lichtlin (1851–1859)
- Auguste Adolphe Villiers (1859–1875)
- Julien Ernest Chevallier (1875–1886)
- Félix Nelson Chiérico (1886–1897)
- Amédée Rihouet (1897–1898)
- Marc Lafon (1898–1906)
- Émile Moreau (1906–1926)
- Paul Ernest-Picard (1926–1934)
- Louis Escallier (1934–1946)
- Jacques Brunet (1946–1949)
- Marcel Flouret (1949–1952)
- Jean Watteau (1952–1962)
- Gilles Warnier de Wailly (1962–1963)