Banknote France 50 Centimes - Chambre de Commerce - Macon - Bourg - 1915

This 50-centime banknote was issued by the Chamber of Commerce of Mâcon and Bourg in 1915. It is an emergency issue, produced in a particular economic context linked to the First World War.

The obverse of the banknote features several inscriptions in Latin. At the top is the mention "CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE", followed by the serial number "548964". Below, we read "DE MACON | BOURG", indicating the cities associated with the Chamber of Commerce. The face value, "50 CENTIMES", is clearly indicated. The President's signatures are affixed, with the mention "Le Président" repeated twice. The name of the printer, "X. PERROUX & FILS MACON", also appears on this side.

The reverse of the banknote bears the inscription "Émission du 1er SEPTbre 1915", specifying the date of issue. It also states that the banknote is "Remboursable jusqu'au 1er SEPTbre 1920", which means that it could be exchanged for official currency until that date. The printer mentioned is X. Perroux & Fils, based in Mâcon, France.

This type of banknote, issued by local institutions such as Chambers of Commerce, was common during the First World War to compensate for the lack of fractional currency. It testifies to the economic difficulties and the solutions put in place to maintain trade during this period.