Banknote Billet France 50 centimes 1916

Remarks:

Délibération: 10-10-1916

This 50 centimes note was issued in 1916 by the Chamber of Commerce of Chalon-sur-Saône, Autun and Louhans, in the context of the First World War. During this period, the shortage of metallic currency, caused by hoarding and the needs of the war effort, forced many French chambers of commerce to issue their own emergency fiduciary currency to compensate for the lack of money in circulation.

This type of note, commonly referred to as emergency currency or chamber of commerce note, was intended to facilitate local commercial exchanges within the territories covered by the three cities concerned, namely Chalon-sur-Saône, Autun and Louhans, all three located in the department of Saône-et-Loire.

The presented specimen bears the mention ANNULÉ (CANCELLED), indicating that it was officially withdrawn from circulation and invalidated by the issuing authority. This cancellation procedure was commonly practised when emergency notes were withdrawn, once the monetary situation had returned to normal or the issue had come to an end. The presence of this mention gives the note the status of a historical document attesting to its passage through the official withdrawal process.