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50 Centimes - Chambre de Commerce du Havre 76
| Issuer | Chambre de Commerce du Havre |
|---|---|
| Year | 1916 |
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| Composition | Paper |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | NUTRISCO ET EXTINGUO VILLE DU HAVRE ET CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE DU HAVRE Émission approuvée par l'Administration Supérieure BON de 50 Centimes Échangeable contre des Billets de la Banque de France Le Président de la Chambre de Commerce Le Maire de la Ville du Havre 1916 OBERTHUR RENNES |
| Reverse description | The reverse is sparsely designed, printed on plain paper with the ghost impression of the obverse visible in offset. A bold red overprint of the denomination 0F.50 occupies the centre in large numerals, superimposed over a block of black italic letterpress text setting out the redemption conditions. A faint watermark underprint showing VILLE DU HAVRE is visible across the field. |
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| Comments |
The Havre Chamber of Commerce issued emergency fractional notes from 1914 onward to compensate for the near-total disappearance of small coinage — hoarded and melted as the war dragged on. This 50 centimes piece belongs to a series that filled a genuine gap in daily commerce at one of France's busiest ports, a city handling war materiel and Allied supply chains throughout the conflict.
Oberthur in Rennes printed the bulk of French provincial emergency issues during this period, and their involvement here is largely a logistical fact rather than a distinction — they were simply the reliable contractor everyone used.