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50 Centimes Clermont-Ferrand
| Issuer | Établissements A. Olier, Clermont-Ferrand (Commando No. 142) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1940-1945 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Franc (1795-1959) |
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| Obverse description | Printed in black by letterpress on red paper, the face bears the heading 'COMMANDO N° 142' in bold uppercase letters at the top, underlined, followed by the issuer line 'Etabts A. OLIER - Clermont-Ferrand' in smaller type. The denomination '0 fr. 50' is rendered in large bold numerals across the lower portion of the note. The design is entirely typographic, with no vignette or ornamental elements. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Printed in black on red paper, the reverse carries bilingual text in French and German, separated by a horizontal rule. Both passages identify this note as provisional camp currency valid exclusively for Axis prisoners of war within Commando No. 142, with no decorative vignettes or ornamental elements present. |
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| Comments |
Établissements A. Olier was a commercial firm in Clermont-Ferrand pressed into service as one of the officially sanctioned emergency issuers under the German occupation's regulated bons de nécessité system. The "Commando No. 142" designation identifies this as part of a numbered series of local issuers authorized to produce small-denomination scrip to compensate for the chronic coin shortage that developed after 1940, when metal was systematically diverted to German war production and hoarding drained what remained from circulation.
Red paper was a deliberate production choice at this level — cheap, fast, and visually distinct from official Vichy-era currency.