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1 Franc - Chambre de Commerce du Havre 76
| Issuer | Chambre de Commerce du Havre |
|---|---|
| Year | 1917 |
| Type | Local banknote |
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| Obverse description | Blue-green letterpress note with an elaborate engraved border of stylised palm fronds, corner medallions bearing allegorical devices of Commerce and Navigation, and a central armorial vignette of the City of Le Havre surmounted by the motto ribbons 'NUTRISCO ET' and 'EXTINGUO'. The denomination 'UN FRANC' is set in large bold type at centre, with the authority inscription across the upper field and a text line confirming exchangeability against Banque de France notes; two manuscript facsimile signatures of the President of the Chamber of Commerce and the Mayor of Le Havre flank the year '1917' and the overprint 'ÉMISSION DE REMPLACEMENT'. A serial number box appears at the foot, with the printer's imprint 'Oberthur Rennes' at lower right. |
|---|---|
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| Protection description | Bees |
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| Comments |
French chambers of commerce became emergency issuers during the First World War after the state withdrew small-denomination coinage from circulation — metal was needed for the war effort, and the public was left scrambling for change. The Havre chamber was among the more active issuers in the Seine-Inférieure, producing a tiered series of necessity notes that saw genuine heavy commercial use in the port city's busy trading environment.
Oberthur in Rennes was the natural choice for quality provincial emergency notes of this period, handling similar commissions across dozens of French departments simultaneously. The watermark security was modest but sufficient for the low denomination and short intended lifespan — most chamber issues were officially demonetized within a few years of the Armistice.