Banknote France 50 Centimes - City of Monchy-le-Preux - 24-10-1915

Remarks:

épinglages, plis, salissures

This 50 centimes note was issued by the Commune of Monchy-le-Preux, a locality in the Pas-de-Calais department, on 24 October 1915, in the midst of the First World War. It is part of the local emergency monetary issues, a widespread phenomenon in France during this conflict, when the shortage of small change forced many municipalities, chambers of commerce and institutions to produce their own means of payment.

Monchy-le-Preux, a commune located to the east of Arras, was at that time situated in an area directly affected by the fighting. The issuance of this note bears witness to the need for local authorities to compensate for the lack of circulating currency, in order to maintain a minimum level of economic activity in an extremely difficult wartime context. These municipal emergency notes are today precious historical testimonies of civilian and administrative life during the First World War.

As a banknote, this fiduciary document bears the mention of its face value of 50 centimes as well as information relating to the issuing commune and its date of issue, namely 24 October 1915. These characteristics allow the origin and period of production of this note to be identified with precision, clearly distinguishing it from other similar issues produced by other French communes during the same period.

The rarity of these local issues, combined with their particular historical context, makes them highly sought-after collectibles among numismatists and historians interested in French war currency. As the commune of Monchy-le-Preux was particularly affected by the hostilities, administrative and financial documents from this period are all the more rare, conferring a notable documentary and historical value upon this note.