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1 franc - Roche-Maurice

Issuer Camp de Prisonniers de Guerre de Roche-Maurice
Year 1914-1918
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In circulation to Yes
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Obverse description Plain typeset voucher printed in black on grey-green paper, with the camp title in bold Gothic lettering across the top, followed by the location subtitle and a decorative rule. A serial number and series letter appear in the upper register, with the denomination BON DE UN FRANC set in large bold letterpress type at centre. Two manuscript signature lines at the foot are headed by the printed role designations of the Assistant Officer and the Commandant, with a blue administrative handstamp visible at left.
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Reverse description Reverse entirely unprinted, consisting of plain grey-green paper stock with no text, vignette, or ornamental elements.
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Comments

Roche-Maurice was one of hundreds of French prisoner-of-war camps that issued scrip during the First World War to allow internal transactions without circulating official French currency among enemy combatants. These camp notes had no value outside the wire — by design. The issuing authority, not the Banque de France, controlled the supply entirely, and denominations were calibrated to canteen pricing rather than any external monetary system.

Paper camp scrip from this period survives poorly. It was printed cheaply, handled constantly in damp conditions, and held no incentive for preservation by prisoners or guards alike.

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