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50 Centimes Red and yellow
| Issuer | Chambre de Commerce de Constantine |
|---|---|
| Year | 1920 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Red and black letterpress print over a yellow underprint, with the municipal coat of arms of Constantine as a vignette at bottom centre. The issuing authority and denomination are rendered in bold typography, flanked by ornamental guilloche work. Black serial numbers appear on the note, with signature lines for the Treasurer and President, and the printer's imprint at foot. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | CHAMBRE DE COMMERCE DE CONSTANTINE DÉLIBÉRATION DE 13 AVRIL 1920 50 CENTIMES Le Trésorier Le Président IMP. JOURDAN, ALGER |
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| Comments |
The Chambre de Commerce de Constantine issued emergency fractional notes during and after World War I to address a severe shortage of small coin — a problem that plagued much of French Algeria as metal was diverted to the war effort. These chamber-of-commerce bons de caisse were a common workaround across French colonial territories, legally sanctioned as local emergency currency but never intended for extended use.
Adolphe Jourdan was the dominant commercial printer in Algiers throughout this period, producing everything from municipal documents to colonial ephemera. His shop was the obvious choice for fast, low-cost fractional paper.