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2 Francs - Chambre de Commerce de Chateauroux 36
| Issuer | Chambre de Commerce de Châteauroux |
|---|---|
| Year | 1915 |
| Type | Local banknote |
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| Obverse description | Brown letterpress note enclosed by a dense floral and foliate border; at upper centre, a circular vignette bears the municipal coat of arms of Châteauroux — a fortified tower within a wreath — with the town name on the lower arc. A large pale underprint of the denomination "2 Fr" occupies the centre field, flanked by guilloche monogram devices, while the issuer's name and principal legend run in bold letterpress across the middle, with two facsimile signature lines for the Treasurer and the President below and the printer's imprint at the foot. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | 2 Ce billet est garanti par dépôt d'égale somme à la Banque de France et est toujours échangeable aux guichets de sa succursale de Châteauroux pour dix ou multiples de dix, contre des billets de la Banque de France et devra sous peine de prescription, être présenté au remboursement dans un délai de vingt ans à partir du jour de son émission. 2 |
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| Comments |
During the First World War, the chronic disappearance of metallic coinage from French circulation forced hundreds of local chambers of commerce to issue their own emergency paper. Châteauroux was among the earlier participants, authorizing fractional notes through its Chambre de Commerce as small change simply ceased to function as a medium in everyday trade. Imprimerie Badel, a local press, handled production entirely within the department — an unusual degree of self-sufficiency compared to chambers that contracted with major Parisian printers.
The watermark security feature is modest but deliberate, enough to deter casual forgery in a regional economy where the issuer was personally known to most users.