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1 Franc - Chambre de Commerce de Paris
| Issuer | Chambre de Commerce de Paris |
|---|---|
| Year | 1920 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | 1 July 1922 |
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| Obverse description | The face carries two circular medallions framed by plant motifs: the left medallion contains a winged caduceus, while the right medallion bears the profile head of Mercury. The central field is divided by ornamental guilloche work, with the denomination UN FRANC and the issuer's name CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE DE PARIS rendered in letterpress. The designer's credit G. FRAIPONT and printer's imprint IMP CHAIX PARIS appear at the lower margin. |
|---|---|
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| Protection description | No watermark. |
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| Comments |
Paris's Chamber of Commerce began issuing small-denomination emergency notes in 1914 when the outbreak of war triggered an immediate and severe shortage of coin — the public was hoarding metal, and the state was overwhelmed. By 1920 these notes had been in continuous circulation for six years, and the franc series was deeply familiar to Parisians as everyday pocket change. The Chamber had no formal banking authority; it issued on commercial rather than sovereign credit, a legal grey area tolerated out of pure necessity.
Fraipont was primarily a poster artist and illustrator — an unusual choice for currency work, and it shows in the graphic sensibility of the design.