Billet France 1 franc 1915 VF

This 1 franc note was issued by the Chambre de Commerce d'Annecy on 13 August 1915, bearing series 142. It belongs to the particular context of the First World War, a period during which many French chambers of commerce were authorised to issue emergency banknotes in order to offset the shortage of fiduciary currency in circulation. The massive hoarding of metallic coins by the population, combined with the growing demands of the war effort, had indeed caused a severe liquidity crisis throughout French territory.

Chambers of commerce were thus granted exceptional authorisation to produce these temporary monetary instruments, intended to facilitate commercial exchanges at the local level. The Chambre de Commerce d'Annecy, an institution representing the economic interests of the Haute-Savoie department, made use of this prerogative by issuing emergency banknotes in various denominations, including this franc note.

This type of note, often referred to as an emergency banknote or local paper currency, now constitutes a historical and numismatic record of the highest order. It illustrates local economic organisation in times of crisis and reflects the adaptive mechanisms put in place by French regional institutions during the conflict. The precise mention of the date 13 August 1915 and the series number 142 allow for accurate identification and traceability of this example within the overall issue produced by the Annecy chamber of commerce.

These regional emergency banknotes attract particular attention from collectors and historians specialising in early 20th-century French numismatics, owing to their documentary value and their connection to a pivotal period in the history of France.

 

 

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