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5 Centimes - Chambres de commerce - Région provençale 'Four Towns' Zinc Pattern
| Issuer | Chambres de Commerce de la Région Provençale |
|---|---|
| Year | 1918 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Franc (1795-1959) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Reverse description | The reverse displays the large numeral '5' occupying the central field, accompanied by the denomination abbreviation 'C.' to its right. The date 1918 appears in the lower field beneath the numeral. A circular legend surrounds the design, reading '· CHAMBRES DE COMMERCE ·' in the upper arc and '· RÉGION PROVENÇALE ·' in the lower arc, all rendered in raised Latin lettering. |
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| Additional information |
When the French government failed to supply sufficient small change during the First World War, regional chambers of commerce across France began issuing their own emergency token coinage — a phenomenon known as monnaie de nécessité. The Provençal region's chambers, covering Marseille, Arles, Aix, and Apt, coordinated a joint issue rather than each striking separately, an administrative consolidation that was itself unusual among the dozens of French regional emergency issues of the period.
This zinc piece is catalogued as a pattern (essai), meaning it never entered circulation. The El Mon reference 10.4 places it among a small group of trial strikes documented for this type.