Catalog
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| Issuer | Chambre de Commerce d'Oran |
|---|---|
| Year | 1915 |
| Type | Local banknote |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Blue letterpress reverse with a restrained decorative border and two circular '1 fr' medallions flanking the centre. A central vignette in the lower half shows two putti supporting the circular seal of the Chambre de Commerce d'Oran, flanked by olive branches and sheaves of grain. The issuer title CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE D'ORAN appears at top, with the authorising deliberation date below. A large red overprint '1918' dominates the centre field, indicating the year of revalidation. The printer imprint appears in the lower right margin. |
| Reverse lettering | CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE D'ORAN Délibération du 10 Novembre 1915 IMP. MOULLOT MARSEILLE |
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| Comments |
Wartime necessity drove French Algeria's chambers of commerce to issue their own emergency fractional currency from 1915 onward, as the mobilization drained small coin from circulation almost immediately after August 1914. Oran's chamber was among the most prolific issuers in the colony, producing multiple denominations across several series throughout the war years.
Moullot fils aîné, a well-established Marseille commercial printer, handled the production — the same firm responsible for several other Algerian chambre issues of the period. The watermarked paper was the primary security measure against local counterfeiting, a real concern given how widely these notes circulated in lieu of official coinage.