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1 Franc - Chambre de commerce d'Angoulème [16]
| Issuer | Chambre de Commerce d'Angoulême |
|---|---|
| Year | 1915 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Franc |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse is printed in dark green on a plain cream ground and consists of an oval guilloche medallion centred on the note, filled with a calligraphic script text setting out the legal guarantee clause. Numeral '1' roundels occupy each corner, and 'SÉRIE 3me' cartouches are placed at the lower left and lower right within the surrounding decorative border of fine foliate engraving. The overall composition is spare, the legal text serving as the sole design element within the oval frame. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Watermark |
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| Comments |
French chambers of commerce were authorized to issue emergency small-denomination notes in August 1914, after the mobilization triggered an immediate hoarding crisis that drained coins from circulation almost overnight. Angoulême's chamber was among the earliest to act, and the Keller Frères printing house — a local firm, not a specialist security printer — handled production entirely in-house. That domestic arrangement, common to many provincial issues, means print quality and registration consistency vary noticeably across surviving examples.
The watermark is the primary security feature, modest by any standard, but typical of what a regional commercial printer could reasonably deliver under wartime constraints.