assignat

Definitions

A banknote used during the French Revolution, on the security of state land.

historical

Equivalents

Examples

“If the landed man wishes to mortgage, he falls the value of his land⟳, and raises the value of assignats.”

“[O]n her request⟳ for money, I took out a parcel of assignats I had in my pocket.”

“He was in favour of a national bank; he was strongly opposed to the reckless issue⟳ of assignats and spoke against it in the Assembly.”

“The continuing depreciation of the assignat was worsening problems: in November and December, the currency's cash return⟳ dipped below 1 per cent of its face⟳ value, bringing a comic aspect to many exchanges and inducing street beggars to decline⟳ alms in paper form⟳.”

CEFR level