Billet France 1 franc 1915 XF

The one franc note issued by the City of Saint-Quentin stands as a direct testimony to the troubled period of World War One. Dated 22 September 1915 and belonging to series A, this fiduciary document illustrates the need for French local authorities to compensate for the shortage of metallic currency that affected the country in wartime.

Saint-Quentin, a town in the department of the Aisne, was at that time located in a zone occupied by German forces. In this exceptional context, the municipal authorities put emergency notes into circulation in order to maintain a minimum level of local economic activity. This type of issue, known as emergency currency or necessity note, was a widespread practice among many French municipalities and chambers of commerce during the conflict.

The face value of this note is one franc, the French monetary unit in use at the time. The issue in series A indicates that it is part of a structured organisation of the production of these notes, most likely intended to facilitate their tracking and control by the municipal administration.

Today, this note is a sought-after collector's item among enthusiasts of numismatics and local history, particularly for collectors specialising in World War One issues. It bears witness to the local monetary adaptations made necessary by the economic and military upheavals of the era, and constitutes a historical document in its own right, reflecting the living conditions under occupation in northern France during the year 1915.

 

 

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