Banknote France 1 Franc - Le Havre Chamber of Commerce - 1917 - Replacement emission

This one-franc replacement banknote was issued in 1917 by the Chamber of Commerce of Le Havre, France. It is an issue approved by the Higher Administration, designed to be exchangeable for banknotes of the Banque de France.

On the obverse, the banknote features the inscriptions "VILLE DU HAVRE" and "CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE DU HAVRE" in capital letters. The face value "UN FRANC" is clearly indicated. There is also the mention "Echangeable contre des Billets de la banque de France" (Exchangeable for Bank of France Banknotes). The signatures of the President of the Chamber of Commerce and the Mayor of Le Havre are affixed. The mention "Emission de remplacement" (Replacement issue) is printed, highlighting the exceptional nature of this issue. The name of the printer, "OBERTHURE RENNES", also appears on the obverse.

The reverse of the banknote contains a legal clause stating that "La Ville du Havre et la Chambre de Commerce de la Ville du Havre pourront demander un décret fixant un délai de cinq ans au maximum à dater dudit décret pendant lequel les billets encore en circulation devront être présentés au remboursement." (The City of Le Havre and the Chamber of Commerce of the City of Le Havre may request a decree setting a maximum period of five years from the date of said decree during which the banknotes still in circulation must be presented for reimbursement.) This clause specifies the conditions for reimbursing the banknotes in circulation.

The banknote's watermark features bees. The dimensions of the banknote are 116 mm in length and 75 mm in width. The printer responsible for the manufacture of this banknote is Oberthur.