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50 Centimes - Chambre de Commerce du Mans 72
| Issuer | Chambre de Commerce du Mans |
|---|---|
| Year | 1922 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 83 × 53 mm |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is printed in dark red on a guilloche underprint bearing the repeated text 'CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE DU MANS'. Two urban vignettes flank a central caduceus motif entwined with grapevine clusters: at left, Le Mans Cathedral, and at right, a public building with classical facade. The denomination '50 CENTIMES' appears in bold letterpress within a dark cartouche at centre, below which the issue date '24 Janvier 1922' and a serial number are printed. Facsimile signatures of the Treasurer and President appear to the lower left and right respectively. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE DU MANS Le Trésorier Le Président 50 CENTIMES 24 Janvier 1922 H.D. |
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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 chronic shortage of small-denomination coins — centimes had been hoarded or melted, and official mints couldn't keep pace with demand. The Chambre de Commerce du Mans operated under that emergency framework well into the early 1920s, long after the guns had stopped, because the coin shortage itself persisted.
The "H.D." engraver credit likely refers to a local printing house rather than a nationally known firm. JP#69-23 and 69-24 denote two distinct signature varieties within the same 1922 emission.