Banknote Billet France 1 franc 1916

Remarks:

Délibération: 12-05-1916

This 1 franc note was issued in 1916 by the Chambre de Commerce de Moulins et Lapalisse, in the context of the First World War. During this period, the shortage of metallic currency forced many French chambers of commerce to issue emergency banknotes in order to compensate for the lack of money in circulation. These local issues provided a temporary solution to meet the needs of daily commercial exchanges.

This note belongs to series G, a characteristic that distinguishes the various series of issues produced by this chamber of commerce. The mention "Annulé" (Cancelled) printed on the note indicates that it was officially withdrawn from circulation and invalidated by the issuing authority, a common practice when emergency banknotes were definitively retired at the end of their period of use. This annotation gives the note a particular status from a documentary and historical point of view.

Emergency banknotes issued by French chambers of commerce during the Great War now represent a fully recognised category in the field of notaphily. The Chambre de Commerce de Moulins et Lapalisse, covering the department of Allier, produced several denominations designed to meet the local needs of the population and merchants of the region.

As a direct witness to the economic and monetary difficulties experienced by France during the First World War, this note constitutes a numismatic document reflecting the local monetary organisation put in place by French commercial institutions in response to the constraints imposed by the war.