Banknote France 1 Franc - Annonay Chamber of Commerce - 31-08-1914 - Serial 27

Remarks:

Scotch au verso 

The 50-centime note issued by the Annonay Chamber of Commerce, dated February 22, 1917, represents a form of emergency currency issued in France during World War I. These notes were produced in response to a shortage of metallic fractional currency caused by the mobilization of resources for the war effort.

This specific note is part of Series 101. The absence of a centralized issuing institution like the Banque de France highlights the local and urgent nature of these issues. The Annonay Chamber of Commerce, as a regional economic institution, took the initiative to issue this currency to facilitate commercial transactions within its jurisdiction.

The 50-centime note is a tangible testimony to the economic and logistical challenges faced by local populations and institutions during the war. It illustrates how communities adapted to maintain minimal economic activity in the absence of traditional means of payment. The precise date of February 22, 1917, places this note in the context of the third year of the war, a period marked by an intensification of economic and social difficulties.

The nominal value of 50 centimes indicates that it was intended for low-value transactions, reflecting the daily needs of the population. The mention of Series 101 may indicate an internal classification of the Annonay Chamber of Commerce to organize and track its emergency currency issues. All these characteristics make this note an interesting object of study for understanding the economic and social history of France during World War I.