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1 Franc Chamber of Commerce
| Issuer | Chambre de Commerce d'Alger (Chamber of Commerce of Algiers) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1923 |
| Type | Local banknote |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Printed in blue by letterpress with red lettering, the note carries the circular seal of the Chamber of Commerce of Algiers to the left and the city's coat of arms to the right. The central text block contains the issuing authority's name, the deliberation date, series and serial designations, and a redemption clause referencing the Banque de l'Algérie. The printer's imprint appears at the lower margin. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Printed in blue, the reverse presents the denomination numeral '1' flanked on both sides, with the word 'Franc' rendered in both French and Arabic script at the centre. The design is spare and typographic, relying on bold numeral placement for visual balance. |
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| Comments |
The Algiers Chamber of Commerce issued emergency fractional notes like this one because the French colonial monetary system chronically failed to supply adequate small change to Algeria — a problem that predated the First World War but worsened dramatically during it. Chambers of Commerce across French Algeria were formally authorized to fill the gap, and Alger's series ran well into the 1920s, long after metropolitan France had resolved its own token shortage.
Jules Carbonel was the dominant commercial printer in colonial Algiers, handling a wide range of official and semi-official printing for local institutions. Entirely locally produced, from plate to press.