5 Centimes - Tourcoing

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.