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1 Franc - Chambre de Commerce des Basses-Alpes 04
| Issuer | Chambre de Commerce des Basses-Alpes |
|---|---|
| Year | 1917 |
| Type | Local banknote |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 1F. 1F. CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE DES BASSES-ALPES UN FRANC Le Président Le Trésorier FRANCIS ANDRÉ IMP. MOULLOT. MARSEILLE Délibération du 19 Juillet 1917 (Décision Ministérielle du 23 Juillet 1917) avant le 31 Octobre 1922 |
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| Reverse lettering | CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE DES BASSES-ALPES 1FR Barcelonnette Castellane Forcalquier Sisteron |
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| Comments |
The Chambres de Commerce emergency notes of 1917 exist because the French state simply could not produce enough small-denomination coinage during the war — metal was going to munitions, and the public was hoarding what little circulated. Regional chambers stepped in as quasi-official issuers under a framework loosely authorized by the government, each producing their own fractional notes with local printers. Basses-Alpes, one of France's least populous departments, turned to Moullot & fils aîné in Marseille, a firm better known for lithographic commercial work than security printing.
The watermark is the only serious anti-counterfeiting measure on the note — not unusual for the series, given the haste of production.