Banknote Billet France 1 franc 1915

Remarks:

Délibération: 04-06-1915

This 1 franc banknote was issued in 1915 by the Chambre de Commerce de Nîmes, in the context of the First World War. During this period, the shortage of metallic currency prompted many French chambers of commerce to issue their own emergency banknotes in order to compensate for the lack of currency in circulation. These local issues, although temporary, played an essential role in maintaining commercial exchanges at the regional level.

The example presented belongs to Series 7 and bears the Specimen designation, making it a particular example, produced for presentation or control purposes, and not intended for ordinary circulation. Specimens are generally distinguished by a specific overprint or perforation indicating their status, and constitute valuable documentary evidence of the printing techniques and graphic designs of the era.

The Chambre de Commerce de Nîmes, an institution representative of the economic fabric of the Gard department, supervised the issuance of these banknotes to meet local needs. Nîmes, a city with a strong historical and commercial identity, thus joins the long list of French cities that resorted to this type of emergency monetary issue during the conflict.

From a typological standpoint, this is a small-denomination paper banknote, representative of French emergency issues from the early 20th century. These documents, halfway between a banknote and a local currency voucher, are today sought-after collectibles among specialists in notaphily and regional economic history. The Specimen designation further enhances the documentary interest and rarity of this example within collections dedicated to French wartime issues.