Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
1 Franc - Chambre de Commerce de Belfort 90
| Issuer | Chambre de Commerce de Belfort |
|---|---|
| Year | 1918 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| 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 |
| Reference(s) | JP#23-54/55 |
| Obverse description | Central vignette of the Lion of Belfort rendered in green intaglio, the recumbent lion facing left in a naturalistic sculptural style, set against a green letterpress underprint of repeated text reading CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE DE BELFORT. Two circular guilloche medallions at left and right each bear the denomination '1 FRANC' in bold gothic lettering. The note is framed by an ornate purple guilloche border with decorative cornerpieces, with the series number at lower left and the serial number at lower right. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Large green underprint numeral '1 FRANC' occupies the central field, overlaid by an oval panel in white containing the redemption text in French. Two handwritten signatures appear below the oval, captioned 'Le Trésorier' at left and 'Le Vice-Président' at right. A bold red diagonal overprint reading 'CIRCULATION LÉGALE DANS TOUTE L'ALSACE-LORRAINE' crosses the upper right portion of the note. The purple guilloche border matches the obverse, with ornamental cornerpieces bearing the denomination numeral. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
Belfort's Chamber of Commerce began issuing emergency fractional notes during the First World War to address the acute shortage of small-denomination coinage — a problem that afflicted much of France as hoarding stripped bronze and nickel from circulation after 1914. The Chambre de Commerce de Belfort was one of dozens of regional chambers authorized under wartime necessity to fill this gap, with their notes functioning as genuine transactional currency in local commerce rather than mere scrip.
B. Arnaud, the Villeurbanne-based printer, handled a significant volume of French regional emergency issues during this period. The watermark security feature is notably modest for a wartime necessity note — functional rather than sophisticated.