Catalog
0,05 Franc
| Issuer | Government of Madagascar and Dependencies |
|---|---|
| Year | 1916 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | The obverse bears a central vignette of workers in a rice field, rendered in fine intaglio engraving, set within a decorative geometric border in green and olive tones. The legends POSTES at top and MADAGASCAR ET DÉPENDANCES at the foot frame the design, with the letters R and F flanking the upper border. The denomination 5 c. appears in a cartouche at the lower centre, with a handwritten manuscript overprint in Arabic script visible above the vignette. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | Varifioventy |
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| Comments |
Madagascar's wartime small-denomination paper was a direct response to the hoarding of coins during the First World War — a phenomenon that hit French colonial territories hard, where metallic currency simply vanished from daily commerce. The 0,05 Franc was among several low-value emergency notes authorized to fill that gap, issued under the authority of the Gouvernement Général rather than a formal banking institution.
Turlot's engraving credit is an uncommon specificity for colonial emergency issues of this period, suggesting the printing was handled through established metropolitan channels despite the urgency of the need.