Banknote Billet France 1 franc 1915

This 1 franc banknote was issued by the Chambre de Commerce de Cette, a port city in southern France now known as Sète, in the Hérault department. It bears the date of 11 August 1915, placing it squarely in the midst of the First World War, a context in which many French chambers of commerce were authorised to issue emergency banknotes to offset the shortage of metallic currency.

This type of note, commonly referred to as an emergency banknote or local paper currency, met an urgent need for circulating liquidity at the regional level, as silver and bronze coins had largely disappeared from circulation, hoarded by the population during a period of economic and military uncertainty.

The presented example belongs to series 130, an indication that allowed the issuer to track and control the volumes put into circulation. The "Annulé" (Cancelled) stamp affixed to this note indicates that it was officially withdrawn from circulation and invalidated by the issuing institution, a common practice when emergency banknotes were recalled once the monetary crisis had subsided. This cancellation mark constitutes an element of authenticity and bears witness to the complete life cycle of the document.

From a conservation and numismatic study perspective, chamber of commerce banknotes from this period represent documents of prime importance for understanding local economic organisation during the First World War. Each chamber of commerce had its own graphic and typographic characteristics, making each issue distinct.