Catalog
See full images - free registration
Continue with Google - no registration!
or register with email
Why register? Just to keep bots out of our catalog. Your email stays private - we will never share it or send you anything uninvited. We guarantee you that!
50 Centimes - Chamber of Commerce of Oran
| Issuer | Chambre de Commerce d'Oran |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Central vignette composed of three allegorical figures: an Algerian woman holding a jar to the right, a seated Hercules figure at centre, and a peasant harnessing two oxen to the left, all within a decorative letterpress border. The denomination '0,50' appears in guilloche roundels on either side, with the issuer title arched above. Signature lines for the Président and the Trésorier are printed below the central vignette. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Chambre de Commerce d`Oran Cinquante Centimes 0,50 Le Président Le Trésorier |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
When the First World War disrupted coin metal supplies and caused hoarding across French colonial Algeria, local chambers of commerce stepped in to plug the fractional currency gap. Oran's chamber was among the first in Algeria to issue emergency paper, and the Moullot printing house in Marseille — a firm well established in commercial lithography for North African clients — handled production for much of the region.
The JP#141 series ran across at least four catalogue variants, suggesting multiple print runs or authorization renewals as the shortage persisted beyond initial expectations.