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50 centimes - Chambre de Commerce de Laval & de la Mayenne [53]
| Issuer | Chambre de Commerce de Laval & de la Mayenne |
|---|---|
| Year | 1921-1923 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Printed in rose-red on cream paper, the reverse presents a fine letterpress vignette of the old town of Laval as seen from the Mayenne river, with the medieval château, riverside buildings and a stone bridge rendered at the right. To the left, the numeral denomination 0.50 is set in large bold figures within a beaded oval cartouche embellished with fruit sprays. A cautionary redemption notice occupies a ruled panel at the upper left, the date range 1920–1921 runs along the lower margin, and a simple decorative border frames the entire composition. |
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| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Without watermark |
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| Comments |
French chambers of commerce were authorized to issue emergency small-denomination notes during and after the First World War to address a severe shortage of coin — centimes had largely vanished from circulation as metal was diverted to the war effort. The Chambre de Commerce de Laval et de la Mayenne issued this series locally through Dalibard's press, which was a straightforward regional commercial printer rather than a specialist security firm. The watermark is present but modest by any serious security standard — adequate for a note no one was expected to counterfeit at fifty centimes.