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1 Franc - Chambre de commerce de Foix [09]
| Issuer | Chambre de Commerce de Foix |
|---|---|
| Year | 1920 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 105 × 65 mm |
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| Obverse description | Blue letterpress note with a central denomination inscription 'UN FRANC' in large bold letters above the numeral '1', framed by a fine guilloche underprint in orange-tan. To the left, a circular vignette bears the coat of arms of Foix; to the right, a circular vignette presents a view of the medieval castle of Foix. The issuer's name 'CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE DE FOIX' and the deliberation date appear along the top, with signature panels for the Treasurer and President at lower left and right respectively, and the serial number printed centrally at the base. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Blue letterpress reverse dominated by a central oval vignette of an allegorical seated figure, surrounded by the chamber's name 'CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE DE FOIX' and the motto 'META . LABORIS . HONOR'. A rooster vignette crowns the top centre. The redemption text is arranged in two columns flanking the central oval, and the denomination '1 Fc' appears at the lower centre. The border is formed by a simple typographic frame. |
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| Comments |
The Chambres de commerce emergency issues of 1914–1926 filled the void left by the near-total disappearance of small-denomination coinage during and after the First World War. Hoarding, metal requisitions, and the general collapse of confidence in circulating coin forced local bodies across France to print their own fractional notes — technically unauthorized but tolerated by the state out of necessity. Foix, the prefecture of Ariège, was one of dozens of provincial chambers that commissioned local printers rather than waiting for central solutions that were slow to arrive.
Berdoulat was a Toulouse-based printer with no particular distinction in banknote production, which shows in the utilitarian typography of the series.