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1 Franc - Chambre de Commerce de Mende 48
| Issuer | Chambre de Commerce de Mende |
|---|---|
| Year | 1917 |
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| In circulation to | 31 December 1922 |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Blue letterpress on salmon-toned paper with the same repeating 'CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE DE MENDE' text underprint. The denomination '1 FRANC' is printed in large red letters within a decorative rectangular cartouche at centre, above a block of black text setting out the redemption conditions and the note's acceptability at all public treasuries of the Lozère department. The outer border consists of an intricate guilloche frame with small '1' vignettes in each corner medallion. |
| Reverse lettering | 1 FRANC CE BILLET, DONT LE FONDS DE GARANTIE EST DÉPOSÉ AU TRÉSOR, DEVRA ÊTRE PRÉSENTÉ AU REMBOURSEMENT, SOUS PEINE DE PRESCRIPTION, AVANT LE 31 DÉCEMBRE 1922. IL EST TOUJOURS ÉCHANGEABLE CONTRE DES BILLETS DE LA BANQUE DE FRANCE ET SERA REÇU DANS TOUTES LES CAISSES PUBLIQUES DU DÉPARTEMENT DE LA LOZÈRE. |
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| Comments |
The Chambres de Commerce emergency notes of 1914–1922 filled a vacuum created almost overnight when the public began hoarding coins at the outbreak of war. Mende, the prefecture of Lozère and one of the least populous departmental capitals in France, issued through its Chambre de Commerce like hundreds of other localities — the system was improvised, legally murky, and tolerated rather than sanctioned by the Banque de France. Arnaud's Lyon workshop handled an enormous volume of these provincial issues during the period, which makes distinguishing between series a matter of serial ranges and watermark batches rather than any obvious visual differentiation.