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50 centimes - Chambre de Commerce de Bergerac [24]
| Issuer | Chambre de Commerce de Bergerac |
|---|---|
| Year | 1921 |
| 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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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Printed in dark blue-green on a light ground, the reverse is dominated by a central vignette of the Usine Électrique de Tuilières hydroelectric plant, rendered in fine line engraving and framed by an ornate cartouche with scrollwork and foliate ornaments. Denomination numerals '50' appear in circular medallions at lower left and right. A rectangular text panel at the bottom contains the legal redemption notice with the date '10 SEPTEMBRE 1921', and the issuer's name is inscribed on a ribbon above the central vignette. |
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| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Bees |
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| Comments |
The Chambre de Commerce de Bergerac was one of hundreds of French local chambers that stepped in to produce small-denomination emergency notes after the wartime hoarding of coins left everyday commerce effectively paralyzed. By 1921, the crisis had technically passed, but fractional coinage remained scarce enough that chambers continued issuing well into the early twenties before the Treasury finally withdrew authorization. Bergerac's series was printed locally by Giraudel & Sorbier, which was unusual — most provincial chambers contracted larger specialist houses in Bordeaux or Paris. The watermarked paper adds a modest security measure rarely seen at this denomination in comparable provincial issues.