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5 Centimes - Tourcoing
| Issuer | Commune of Tourcoing (Department of Nord) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1914 |
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| Reference(s) | JP1418#59.3235 |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | VILLE DE TOURCOING SÉRIE CP 1 NUMÉRO DE CONTRÔLE 092,260 5 Cents |
| Reverse description | The central design presents two heraldic shields set against a landscape vignette, framed above and below by the denomination '5 Centimes': the left shield bears the letter 'T' for Tourcoing, while the right shield carries the town's full coat of arms. A three-line legend below the vignette identifies the note as a goods voucher redeemable exclusively with merchants within Tourcoing, over the facsimile signature of the Mayor. |
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| Comments |
Tourcoing, a textile town in Nord practically on the Belgian border, fell under German occupation within weeks of the August 1914 mobilization. This note is part of the sprawling emergency small-change coinage that French municipalities issued when metal currency disappeared almost overnight — hoarded, requisitioned, or simply stopped circulating as the front lines stabilized nearby. The Commune itself, not any banking authority, stood behind the redemption promise, which in an occupied town was a fragile guarantee at best.
The JP1418 series for Nord is enormous. Dozens of communes issued independently, producing hundreds of variants that differ in typeface, paper stock, and authorization text.