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2 Francs
| Issuer | Ville du Havre et Chambre de Commerce du Havre |
|---|---|
| Year | 1916 |
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| Printer | Oberthur (Oberthur Fiduciaire; F. C. Oberthur), Rennes, France (1842-1983) |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is printed on an orange-red underprint ground and carries the coat of arms of the city of Le Havre at the centre, surrounded by the joint issuing authority inscription of the Ville du Havre and the Chambre de Commerce. The denomination "BON DE DEUX FRANCS" is stated in the central panel, with the emission date 1916 below. The note bears a statement of superior administrative approval in smaller letterpress text. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | La Ville du Havre et la Chambre de Commerce de la Ville du Havre pourront demander un décret fixant un délai de cinq ans au minimum à dater dudit décret pendant lequel les billets encore en circulation devront être présentés au remboursement. |
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| Comments |
Le Havre's Chamber of Commerce began issuing emergency small-denomination notes in 1914 when the war's disruption of coin supply created an acute shortage of everyday change across northern French ports. The Ville du Havre joined as co-issuer by 1916, a dual-authority arrangement that was administratively unusual — most French *billets de nécessité* of this period bore only a single commercial or municipal stamp.
Oberthur in Rennes was the dominant French printer for this class of wartime necessity currency, handling dozens of regional issues simultaneously. The watermark security was a meaningful precaution: low-denomination local notes were frequent targets for crude counterfeiting during the conflict.