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5 Centimes
| Issuer | Mechelen, City of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1917 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 74 × 42 mm |
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| Printer | Log in to see details |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | VILLE DE MALINES - BON POUR 10 CENTIMES - KAREL DESSAIN KAAI (Translation: CITY OF MECHELEN - GOOD FOR 10 CENTS - KAREL DESSAIN QUAY) |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | STAD MECHELEN - GOED VOOR VIJF CENTIEMEN - 04.OCT.1917 - A. GEUDENS DEL. - GER. POORTMAN & G. MINGUET |
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| Comments |
Mechelen was under German military occupation when this note was issued, and like dozens of Belgian municipalities in 1917, the city resorted to small-denomination paper to compensate for the near-total disappearance of metal coinage — hoarded by the population or requisitioned by the occupier. These hyper-local emergency issues were produced under considerable constraint, which makes the involvement of named designers and engravers notable; most comparable issues from smaller communes are anonymous print jobs.
Poortman and Minguet were both active in Belgian printing trades during this period. The collaboration suggests a divided plate or a two-stage production process, though the small format kept ambitions modest.