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20 Centimes - 70 Communes

Issuer 70 Communes of Nord and Pas-de-Calais
Year 1915
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Printer Henry Lefebvre, Cambrai, France
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Obverse lettering 0,20 | 0,20 EMPRUNT GARANTI par Délibération du 23 Avril 1915, des 70 Communes de Miramont, Irles, Courcelettes, Pys, Lesars, Ligny-Thilloy, Warlencourt, Grévilliers, Avesnes, Lefvilliers, Bihucourt, Achiet-le- Grand, Achiet-le-Petit, Ablainzevelle, Bucquoy, Coucelles, Ervilliers, Bapaume, Bancourt, Martinpuich, Riencourt, Beaulencourt, Gueudecourt, Behagnies, Flers, Le Transloy, Sailly-Saillisel, Frémicourt, Beugnatre, Favreuil, Vaulx-Vraucourt, Mory, Sapignies, Bertincourt, Halincourt, Villiers-au-Flos, Le Mesnil, Rocquigny, Barastre, Vélu, Bus, Lechalles, Ibras, Beugny, Beaumetz, Morchies, Moevres, Metz-en-Couture, Equancourt, Bayaucourt, Etricourt-Manancourt, Neuville, Fins, Sorel, Trescault, Havrincourt, Boursies, Delgifies, Gouzeaucourt, Ribecourt, Flesquières, Villers-Plouich, Heudicourt, Marcoing, Gonnenelieu, Lebucquière, Villers-Guislain, Hermies, Honnecourt, Graincourt. 1re Émission de 2.300.000 Francs remboursables aux Caisses Municipales six mois après signature de la Paix. VINGT CENTIMES La Commission de contrôle, Pour être valable, tout bon doit porté le timbre de la Commission de contrôle. N°37187 Série 1. IMP. HENRY LEFEBVRE CAMBRAI
(Translation: 20 Cents)
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Protection description Circular violet ink stamp applied by the control commission; each bon required this stamp to be considered valid for circulation.
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Comments

In the autumn of 1914, German occupation of northern France severed the region from the Banque de France entirely. Coin disappeared almost immediately — hoarded, requisitioned, or simply lost in the chaos — and by early 1915, dozens of communes in Nord and Pas-de-Calais were facing a near-total breakdown of small-denomination exchange. The solution was collective: seventy municipalities pooled their authority to issue emergency fractional notes, a remarkable act of administrative improvisation under occupation.

Henry Lefebvre, a Cambrai printer operating under German-controlled territory, produced the series. That a French commercial printer continued functioning in an occupied city is itself worth noting — German military administration tolerated certain civilian economic activities when it suited order and supply.

The JP1418 reference places this within the broader Pirot emergency note classification for occupied northern France, 1914–1918.

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