Catalog
1 Franc
| Issuer | Gouvernement Général de l'Afrique Occidentale Française, Colonie de la Côte d'Ivoire |
|---|---|
| Year | 1917 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Franc |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | GOUVERNEMENT GÉNÉRAL DE L'AFRIQUE OCCIDENTALE FRANÇAISE COLONIE DE LA CÔTE D'IVOIRE UN FRANC LIBERTÉ ÉGALITÉ FRATERNITÉ RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE Le Trésorier-Payeur Le Lt.-Gouverneur |
| Reverse description | The reverse carries the full text of the decree governing the issue, printed in small letterpress across the entire surface within the same foliate ornamental border as the face. The text reproduces the extract of the decree of 11 February 1917, setting out the conditions of forced circulation, the two-year redemption timeframe following cessation of hostilities, and the penalties for counterfeiting, concluding with the printer's imprint Gorée. — Imp. Gouvt Génl. |
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| Comments |
The Gouvernement Général de l'AOF resorted to locally printed fractional notes across its constituent territories during the First World War because the metropolitan coin supply had effectively dried up — France was hoarding metal for the war effort, and small-denomination transactions in the colonies had ground to a halt. Côte d'Ivoire's 1 Franc note was one of several territorial issues produced at the government press on Gorée island off Dakar, a facility better suited to administrative printing than banknote production.
The improvised origins show. These notes were never intended as permanent currency, and survival rates are low — not from heavy circulation but from the paper quality the Gorée press worked with.