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50 centimes - Chambre de Commerce de Calais [62] 6ème émission
| Issuer | Chambre de Commerce de Calais |
|---|---|
| Year | 1919 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 50 Centimes (0.50) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE DE CALAIS RF 50 CENTIMES Le Trésorier Le Président 1ère SÉRIE DE REMPLACEMENT DE LA 5e ÉMISSION A. LITH. ROY & VALADE. AMIENS. |
| Reverse description | The reverse is printed entirely in dark rose-red on white paper, enclosed within a fine rectangular border with ornamental corner pieces bearing the denomination numeral '50' in small diamond cartouches. The entire field is occupied by two paragraphs of reimbursement text in a calligraphic script, stating the conditions for redemption in Banque de France notes. |
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| Comments |
French chambers of commerce were authorized to issue emergency fractional currency during and after the First World War to address a nationwide shortage of small coins — bronze and copper had been diverted to the war effort, and centimes effectively vanished from circulation. Calais, as a major Channel port under sustained military and logistical pressure throughout the conflict, had particular need for low-denomination scrip well into the postwar period.
This sixth emission indicates the Calais chamber returned to the presses repeatedly across several years, a sign of how stubbornly the coin shortage persisted. Roy & Valade in Amiens handled a substantial share of northern French chamber printing during this period.