Banknote Billet France 1 franc 1918

Remarks:

Surcharge Alsace-Lorraine

Spécimen: 2 perforations

This 1 franc note was issued by the Chambre de Commerce de Belfort on 4 November 1918, just a few days before the armistice ending the First World War. It belongs to series AB.

During the Great War, a shortage of metallic currency led many French chambers of commerce to issue emergency banknotes. These institutions were authorised to put their own denominations into circulation in order to compensate for the lack of cash available. The Chambre de Commerce de Belfort, representing the Territoire de Belfort, took part in this effort by producing its own local fiduciary issues, of which this note is a part.

The Territoire de Belfort, a French enclave that remained after the cession of Alsace-Moselle to the German Empire in 1871 following the Franco-Prussian War, held particular symbolic and strategic importance during the conflict. The notes issued by its chamber of commerce therefore carry a notable historical dimension, bearing witness to the economic hardships of the period and the resilience of local institutions.

This type of emergency banknote is today considered a historical document in its own right, illustrating local monetary management during times of crisis. Chamber of commerce notes from this era are generally distinguished by allegorical representations or regional motifs, as well as precise references to the issuer, face value, date of issue and series.

The series AB indicated on this note makes it possible to identify and distinguish the different issue batches produced by the chamber of commerce, with each series corresponding to a specific contingent of notes put into circulation. The face value of this note is 1 franc.