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50 Centimes - Chambre de Commerce d'Ajaccio et de Bastia 20
| Issuer | Chambres de Commerce d'Ajaccio et de Bastia |
|---|---|
| Year | 1915-1920 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Franc (1795-1959) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The note is framed by a vegetal border enclosing a central vignette composed of three distinct elements: at left, a seated allegorical female figure rests her right hand on a grounded anchor; at right, a merchant vessel moored at a quay is shown being unloaded; at center below, a medallion bears the heraldic shield with the head of a Moor, the traditional emblem of Corsica. Issuing authority, denomination, and printer's imprint appear in typeset letterpress. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse is enclosed within a vegetal frame of the same decorative character as the obverse. At the lower center, a crowned medallion contains the paired heraldic shields of the cities of Ajaccio and Bastia. The denomination and abbreviated issuing authority name are printed in the upper and lower registers. |
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| Comments |
During the First World War, the near-total disappearance of small metallic coinage from French circulation forced chambers of commerce across the country to issue their own emergency paper fractional currency — the so-called monnaie de nécessité. Corsica's two principal commercial chambers issued jointly under a combined authority, an administrative arrangement that was itself unusual and reflected the island's relative isolation from mainland supply chains.
Moullot fils aîné was a well-established Marseille printing house with extensive experience producing commercial and municipal documents, though not a specialist security printer. The watermarked paper provides the note's only real safeguard against forgery.