BRUXELLES. 2,5% Obligation de F1000, unissued. green. Printed on thin paper with small edge tears (repaired). Early unissued and previously unseen bond of this very famous Belgian bank, formed in 1822 by King Willem I of the Netherlands, before Belgian independence. The Soc. Générale pour favoriserl'IndustrieNationale was, as it name says, founded to play an important role in the development of the local industry. This at a moment that the British Industrial Revolution was starting to spread on to the Continent in general and South-Belgium in particular. With production evolving from small home businesses to large industrial enterprises, there was a clear need for much more capital than individual entrepreneurs could provide. It was this role that the Soc. Gén. played brilliantly for almost two centuries. In that period, the company has held important participations in many of Belgian's most significant companies, played a major role in the economic exploitation of Belgian Congo, was a considerable force in national politics and founded Belgian's biggest bank, la Banque Générale (now BNP Paribas Fortis). There is very little 19th century scripophily from the Société Générale and this unissued bond, surely a printer proof as there's a ink-written correction in the printed text, is surely unique.