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50 Centimes - 70 Communes
| Issuer | 70 Communes of the Nord and Pas-de-Calais Departments |
|---|---|
| Year | 1915 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 50 Centimes (0.50) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The face of this wartime emergency bon is given over entirely to letterpress text, with the denomination value '0,50' printed at upper left and right. The central body carries the authorising deliberation text dated 23 April 1915, followed by a full enumeration of the 70 participating communes of the Nord and Pas-de-Calais departments, the emission details for the 4th issue of 14,500,000 Francs redeemable six months after the signing of peace, and a validation notice from the control commission. The serial number and series designation appear at lower centre, with the printer's imprint at the foot. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Wavy, curvilinear lines forming an irregular pattern throughout the paper substrate |
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| Comments |
During the German occupation of northern France in 1915, the seventy communes of Nord and Pas-de-Calais pooled their issuing authority to produce emergency small-change notes — a direct response to the near-total disappearance of coin from circulation under occupation. Individual communes lacked the administrative capacity to sustain independent issues, and this collective arrangement was a practical workaround. Henry Lefebvre in Cambrai, himself operating under occupation conditions, handled the printing.
The watermark is notable given the constraints: securing even basic security paper in occupied territory required considerable ingenuity. Cambrai itself fell under German control in August 1914 and would remain so until October 1918.