Banknote France 1 Franc - City of Montigny-en-Gohelle - 09-11-1914

Remarks:

épinglages, plis, salissures, coupures, manque en coin

This 1 franc municipal emergency note was issued by the Town of Montigny-en-Gohelle, a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department, on 9 November 1914. It was issued in the particular context of the early First World War, a period during which many French municipalities, faced with a shortage of fiduciary currency, were compelled to issue their own local payment instruments in order to overcome difficulties in monetary circulation.

This type of numismatic document belongs to the category of necessity notes, issued at the municipal level to meet the immediate needs of local economic exchange. These municipal vouchers were only valid within the territory of the issuing town and represented a temporary solution in the face of the dwindling supply of metallic coins and official banknotes, which were widely hoarded by the population during this period of turmoil.

Montigny-en-Gohelle, a mining town in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais coalfield, was at that time located in an area particularly affected by the conflict, which explains the necessity of resorting to a local issue. The face value of 1 franc corresponds to a common denomination, intended to facilitate everyday transactions within the local population.

From a collector's perspective, these municipal vouchers issued during the Great War now represent historical and numismatic testimonies of the highest order. They document both the economic hardships faced by French municipalities in wartime and the pragmatic solutions implemented by local authorities. The issue year of 1914 gives this note a notable documentary value, marking the very first months of the conflict and the monetary disorganisation that immediately resulted from it.