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1 Franc
| Issuer | Guadeloupe |
|---|---|
| Year | 1903-1921 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Left-facing bust of an Arawak man, depicted in profile with feathers adorning his headband, enclosed within a beaded inner circle. The legend REPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE arcs along the upper periphery, while GUADELOUPE ET DÉPENDANCES curves along the lower periphery. The engraver's signature A. PATEY appears within the inner circle below the bust. The design reflects the colonial-era artistic style characteristic of French overseas token coinage. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | A centrally placed sugar cane stalk, rendered in naturalistic detail with broad arching leaves, divides the date numerals in the lower field — the first two digits to the left and the final two digits to the right of the stalk's base. The denomination BON POUR 1 F. is inscribed in the upper field above the plant. The circular legend · CONTRE·VALEUR·DÉPOSÉE·AU·TRÉSOR · runs along the full periphery, separated by raised dots, indicating the guaranteed redemption value deposited with the French Treasury. |
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| Additional information |
Guadeloupe's locally issued franc coinage was authorized because metropolitan French coinage was perpetually undersupplied in the Caribbean colonies — shipping costs and the indifference of Paris to small-denomination colonial circulation left merchants and plantation workers routinely short of workable change. The Chambre de Commerce de la Guadeloupe stepped in as the issuing authority, a private-commercial body rather than a state mint, which is why these pieces carry chamber authority rather than a Monnaie de Paris attribution.
The issue spans nearly two decades precisely because replacements were slow to arrive and the coins stayed in active use far longer than intended.