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1 Franc - Chambre de Commerce de Montluçon - Gannat 03
| Issuer | Chambre de Commerce de Montluçon-Gannat |
|---|---|
| Year | 1918 |
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| Composition | Paper |
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| Obverse description | Green letterpress note with an ornate floral guilloche underprint covering the entire field. The denomination UN FRANC is printed in large bold type at centre, flanked on each side by two dark circular vignettes bearing the numeral 1fr within decorative wreaths. A central official seal of the Chambre de Commerce de Montluçon-Gannat, depicting a castle tower, appears between the manuscript signatures of the Trésorier and the Président, with Série B indicated at lower left. A diagonal red ANNULÉ overprint crosses the face. |
|---|---|
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| Protection type | Watermark |
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| Comments |
Montluçon's Chamber of Commerce began issuing emergency small-change notes during the First World War, when the hoarding of coins — driven by metal requisitions and public anxiety — created a severe shortage of fractional currency across provincial France. Hundreds of chambers and municipalities issued their own bons de nécessité during this period, but the Montluçon-Gannat series is notable for being printed locally by Herbin & Bouché rather than through one of the Parisian firms that handled most of the national volume.
The presence of a watermark is worth remarking — many comparable provincial issues dispensed with security features entirely.