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50 centimes - Chambre de Commerce de Marseille [13]
| Issuer | Chambre de Commerce de Marseille |
|---|---|
| Year | 1914-1915 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Rectangular |
| 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 | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Light blue reverse with a fine guilloche outer border enclosing a central octagonal vignette of a sailing vessel, evoking Marseille's maritime heritage. The denomination value '0.50' appears in the upper corners, and the body of the note carries the authorising deliberation of 12 August 1914, setting out the conditions of issue and redemption, arranged in two columns of small letterpress text. The printer's imprint is set in the lower margin. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Watermark |
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| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
When the outbreak of war in August 1914 triggered an immediate hoarding of metallic currency across France, chambers of commerce throughout the country were authorized under emergency decree to issue their own small-denomination paper notes — bons de nécessité — to keep local commerce functioning. Marseille's chamber moved quickly, and the Moullot firm, a well-established local printing house with deep roots in Marseille's commercial print trade, produced this note without the delay that plagued chambers relying on Paris suppliers.
JP#79.1 is the first in the Marseille chamber's wartime series. The watermark is the sole security feature — modest by banking standards, but sufficient for a note intended for short-term emergency use rather than long-term circulation.