Catalog
25 Centimes - Union Commerciale - Crecy-sur-Serre [02]
| Issuer | Union Commerciale du Canton de Crécy-sur-Serre |
|---|---|
| Year | |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | El Mon.#10.3 |
| Obverse description | Plain field bearing the large denomination numeral '25' at centre, with a superscript 'c' to the right, and the word 'CANTON' above and 'DE' below the numeral. The circular legend reads '· UNION COMMERCIALE · CANTON 25c · DE CRECY-SUR-SERRE · AISNE', disposed around the periphery and separated from the field by an inner ring of raised beads. The entire design is enclosed within a beaded border. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | ND |
| Additional information |
Crécy-sur-Serre is a small commune in the Aisne department, and like dozens of similar rural cantons across northern France, its local merchants banded together during the First World War to issue emergency aluminum tokens when the wartime hoarding of bronze and copper coinage left daily commerce almost entirely without small change. The Banque de France's inability to supply sufficient fractional currency to rural areas pushed trade associations to fill the gap themselves — often with minimal official oversight and highly localized circulation that rarely extended beyond a few kilometers.
The El Monnaies reference 10.3 suggests at least two earlier varieties preceded this issue.