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10 Centimes - Chambre de Commerce de Montluçon-Gannat 03
| Issuer | Chambre de Commerce de Montluçon-Gannat |
|---|---|
| Year | 1918 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 10 Centimes (0.10) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Buff-toned note printed in dark ink, with a rectangular outer frame enclosing a large central oval. Within the oval, the redemption terms are set in bold letterpress text across three registers. At the centre of the oval, a circular official seal of the Chambre de Commerce de Montluçon-Gannat bears a vignette of a turreted medieval castle with a rising sun above, encircled by the chamber's full name. A faint cancellation stamp is visible overlapping the left portion of the oval. |
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| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Watermark |
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| Comments |
French chambers of commerce were authorized to issue emergency small-change notes during WWI after hoarding and metal shortages caused a near-total collapse of coin circulation. Montluçon-Gannat's chamber covered an industrial corner of the Allier department — Montluçon was a significant metallurgical center, which gave its local commerce authority both the need and the clout to print its own fractional currency. The 10 centimes denomination was the smallest and most heavily used in daily transactions, meaning survivors in decent shape are proportionally harder to find than the 25 or 50 centimes from the same series.
Printed locally by Herbin & Bouché rather than one of the major Parisian houses — an unusual choice that kept production close to the issuer but resulted in less sophisticated execution than contemporaneous issues from Lyon or Bordeaux chambers.