Catalog
5 Centimes Alger Chamber of Commerce
| Issuer | Chambre de Commerce d'Alger |
|---|---|
| Year | 1916-1921 |
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| Currency | Franc (1848-1959) |
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| Obverse description | Central device features a winged caduceus entwined by two serpents, flanked by two upright palm trees. The circular legend CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE D'ALGER runs along the upper periphery, with the year of issue positioned below. The entire design is enclosed within a beaded border. The composition reflects the commercial and colonial character typical of French Algerian emergency coinage of the First World War era. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE D'ALGER 1916 |
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| Additional information |
Algeria's colonial administration faced a acute small-change shortage during World War I as the French metropole hoarded and melted copper for munitions. Chambers of commerce across French North Africa were authorized to issue emergency token coinage — monnaie de nécessité — to keep local commerce functioning. The Alger chamber's aluminium pieces circulated well into the early 1920s before being withdrawn as conventional supply normalized.