5 Francs French occupation of the Fezzan - WWII

The Fezzan was a remote Saharan province of Italian Libya when French forces under General Leclerc seized it in January 1943 during the North African campaign. The occupation notes pressed into service there were not purpose-designed for the territory — the French military drew on existing Banque de France stock, which is why these pieces carry dates from the late 1930s, predating the occupation by several years.

Circulating among a sparse desert population with limited experience of French currency, many notes returned to military hands quickly and saw little wear. The Fezzan remained under French administration until Libyan independence in 1951.