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50 Centimes - Ville et Chambre de Commerce du Havre
| Issuer | Ville du Havre et Chambre de Commerce du Havre |
|---|---|
| Year | 1917 |
| Type | Local banknote |
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| Obverse description | Plain ground with central text block carrying the full bilingual authority title, denomination in large guilloche-framed numerals, and approval inscription. Two manuscript facsimile signatures appear below, attributed to the President of the Chamber of Commerce and the Mayor of Le Havre, with a six-digit serial number and Oberthur, Rennes imprint at foot. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | NUTRISCO ET INSTIGUO VILLE DU HAVRE ET CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE DU HAVRE Émission approuvée par l'Administration supérieure 50 CENTIMES Échangeable contre des Billets de la Banque de France CONFIANCE NAVIGATION Le Président de la Chambre de Commerce Le Maire de la Ville du Havre 1917 Émission de remplacement Nº557662 Oberthur Rennes |
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| Comments |
Le Havre's joint municipal-chamber of commerce issues during the First World War were a direct response to the near-total disappearance of small coinage from circulation — hoarded by the public and requisitioned for the war effort. The pairing of civic and commercial authority on a single emergency note was unusual even by the standards of French wartime nécessité issues, most of which were issued by one body or the other, not both simultaneously.
Oberthur in Rennes handled a substantial share of French emergency paper during this period and brought consistent technical quality to what were otherwise stopgap instruments. The watermark security feature is notably present — not a given on fractional notes of this type.