Banknotes from France (notgeld)
Many cities in France issued their own currency tokens (notgeld) to circulate alongside or in the place of usually hoarded coins. Following the economic and financial turmoil created both during and by the aftermath of WWI, the franc was devalued, and subsequently silver 50 centimes, 1 franc, and 2 Franc coins began to disappear from circulation fast, due to people hoarding them for their silver value. As a result, a coinage shortage occurred, and municipalities began issuing their own replacements starting midway through the First World War, and continuing into the 1920s. The notgeld issues had ended by 1931, by which point new Chambres de Commerce issues had become widely available and circulating. Most of those coins were made of low-value metals like zinc or aluminium and stamp coins were also widely made. French colonies where the Franc circulated also issued their own notgeld during the 1920s.
See also: France
- Aisne, Department of
- Aisne, Department of › Saint-Quentin and Guise, Communes of
- Aisne, Department of › Saint-Quentin, Commune of
- Allier, Department of › Montluçon and Gannat, Communes of
- Alpes Maritimes, Department of › Nice, Commune of
- Angoulême, Commune of
- Ardeche, Department of › Annonay, Commune of
- Ardeche, Department of › Aubenas, Commune of
- Ardennes, Department of › Charleville-Mézières, Commune of
- Aude, Department of › Carcassonne, Commune of
- Aude, Department of › Narbonne, Commune of
- Aveyron, Department of
- Bas-Rhein, Department of › Strasbourg, Commune of
- Basses-Pyrénées, Department of › Bayonne, Commune of
- Belfort, Territoire de › Belfort, Commune of
- Bouches-du-Rhône, Department of › Marseille, Commune of
- Calvados, Department of › Caen and Honfleur, Communes of
- Cantal, Department of › Aurillac, Commune of
- Charente-Maritime, Department of › La Rochelle, Commune of
- Charente-Maritime, Department of › Rochefort-sur-Mer, Commune of
- Chateauroux, Commune of
- Corrèze, Department of › Brive-la-Gaillarde, Commune of
- Côte-d'Or, Department of › Dijon, Commune of
- Deux-Sévres, Department of
- Dordogne, Department of › Périgueux, Commune of
- Doubs, Department of › Besançon, Commune of
- Eure-et-Loir, Department of
- Eure, Department of › Evreux, Commune of
- Finistère, Department of › Quimper and Brest, Communes of
- Gard, Department of › Alais, Commune of
- Gard, Department of › Auch, Commune of
- Gironde, Department of › Bordeaux, Commune of
- Haut-Rhin, Department of › Colmar, Commune of
- Haut-Rhin, Department of › Mulhouse, Commune of
- Haute et Basse-Corse, Departments of › Ajaccio and Bastia, Communes of
- Haute-Garonne, Department of › Toulouse, Commune of
- Haute-Marne, Department of › Saint-Dizier, Commune of
- Haute-Saône, Department of › Lure, Commune of
- Haute-Savoie, Department of › Annecy, Commune of
- Hautes-Pyrénées, Department of › Tarbes, Commune of
- Hérault, Department of › Béziers, Commune of
- Hérault, Department of › Cette, Commune of
- Hérault, Department of › Montpellier, Commune of
- Ille-et-Vilaine, Department of › Rennes and Saint-Malo, Communes of
- Landes, Department of
- Loire et Cher, Department of › Blois, Commune of
- Loire-Atlantique, Department of › Nantes, Commune of
- Lot-et-Garonne, Department of › Agen, Commune of
- Lot, Department of › Cahors, Commune of
- Lot, Department of
- Maine-et-Loire, Department of › Angers, Commune of
- Marne, Department of
- Meurthe-et-Moselle, Department of › Nancy, Commune of
- Morbihan, Department of › Lorient, Commune of
- Moselle, Department of › Metz, Commune of
- Nièvre, Department of › Nevers, Commune of
- Nord and Pas-de-Calais, Department s of
- Nord, Aisne, and Oise, Departements of
- Nord, Department of › Dunkerque, Commune of
- Nord, Department of › Lille, Commune of
- Nord, Department of › Roubaix and Tourcoing, Commune of
- Oise, Department of › Beauvais, Commune of
- Orne, Department of › Alençon and Flers, Communes of
- Pas-de-Calais, Department of › Arras, Commune of
- Pas-de-Calais, Department of › Béthune, Commune of
- Pas-de-Calais, Department of › Calais, Commune of
- Pas-de-Calais, Department of › Saint-Omer, Commune of
- Provence, Region of
- Puy-de-Dôme, Departement of
- Pyrénées-Orientales, Department of › Perpignan, Commune of
- Rhône, Department of › Lyon, Commune of
- Saône-et-Loire and Ain, Departments de › Mâcon and de Bourg-en-Bresse, Communes of
- Savoie, Department of › Chambéry, Commune of
- Seine-et-Marne, Department of › Melun, Commune of
- Seine-Maritime, Department of › Elbeuf, Commune of
- Seine-Maritime, Department of › Havre, Commune du
- Seine-Maritime, Department of › Rouen, Commune of
- Seine-Maritime, Department of › Tréport, Commune of
- Seine, Department of › Paris, Commune of
- Somme, Department of › Abbeville, Commune of
- Somme, Department of › Amiens, Commune of
- Somme, Department of › Péronne, Commune of
- Tarn, Department of › Albi, Castres, and Mazamet, Communes of
- Toulon, Commune of
- Vaucluse, Department of › Avignon, Commune of
- Vendee, Department of › La Roche-sur-Yon, Commune of
- Vienne, Department of › Poitiers, Commune of
- Vosges, Department of › Épinal, Commune of
France › French Notgeld › Aisne, Department of • Franc (notgeld, 1914-1931)
100 Centimes = 1 Franc
1 franc - departments of Aisne, Ardennes and La Marne
1916
Local banknote
90 × 60 mm
JP1418# 02 - 1309
1916
Local banknote
90 × 60 mm
JP1418# 02 - 1309
France › French Notgeld › Aisne, Department of › Saint-Quentin and Guise, Communes of • Franc (notgeld, 1914-1931)
100 Centimes = 1 Franc
France › French Notgeld › Aisne, Department of › Saint-Quentin, Commune of • Franc (notgeld, 1914-1931)
100 Centimes = 1 Franc
France › French Notgeld › Allier, Department of › Montluçon and Gannat, Communes of • Franc (notgeld, 1914-1931)
100 Centimes = 1 Franc
10 Centimes Chambres de Commerce de Montluçon et de Gannat
(1918)
Local banknote
62 × 36 mm
JP# 084.67
(1918)
Local banknote
62 × 36 mm
JP# 084.67
cinquante centimes - Chambre de Commerce de Montluçon - Gannat (03)
1921
Local banknote
95 × 58 mm
JP# 84- 56/57
1921
Local banknote
95 × 58 mm
JP# 84- 56/57
un franc - Chambre de Commerce de Montluçon - Gannat (03)
1915
Local banknote
100 × 60 mm
JP# 84- 15/16/17
1915
Local banknote
100 × 60 mm
JP# 84- 15/16/17
un franc - Chambre de Commerce de Montluçon - Gannat (03)
1917
Local banknote
112 × 62 mm
JP# 84- 31/32
1917
Local banknote
112 × 62 mm
JP# 84- 31/32
deux francs - Chambre de Commerce de Montluçon - Gannat (03)
1916
Local banknote
112 × 66 mm
JP# 84- 26/27
1916
Local banknote
112 × 66 mm
JP# 84- 26/27
France › French Notgeld › Alpes Maritimes, Department of › Nice, Commune of • Franc (notgeld, 1914-1931)
100 Centimes = 1 Franc
50 centimes - Chambre de Commerce de Nice et des Alpes-Maritimes (06)
1917
Local banknote
90 × 56 mm
JP# 91- 04/06
1917
Local banknote
90 × 56 mm
JP# 91- 04/06
50 centimes - Chambre de Commerce de Nice et des Alpes Maritimes1920
Local banknote
80 × 55 mm
JP# 091.09/10/14
2 francs Chambre de Commerce de Nice et des Alpes Maritimes
1917
Local banknote
105 × 68 mm
JP# 91 - 7/8
1917
Local banknote
105 × 68 mm
JP# 91 - 7/8
1 franc - Chambre de Commerce de Nice et des Alpes-Maritimes (06)
1917
Local banknote
118 × 68 mm
JP# 91- 05
1917
Local banknote
118 × 68 mm
JP# 91- 05
1 franc - Chambre de Commerce de Nice et des Alpes-Maritimes (06)
1920
Local banknote
94 × 62 mm
JP# 91- 11/12/13/15
1920
Local banknote
94 × 62 mm
JP# 91- 11/12/13/15
France › French Notgeld › Angoulême, Commune of • Franc (notgeld, 1914-1931)
100 Centimes = 1 Franc
![50 centimes - Chambre de commerce d'Angoulème [16] – obverse](https://en.numista.com/catalogue/photos/angouleme_notgeld/5fa434900147b2.69623182-180.jpg)
![50 centimes - Chambre de commerce d'Angoulème [16] – reverse](https://en.numista.com/catalogue/photos/angouleme_notgeld/5fa434904e1510.15863842-180.jpg)
![50 centimes - Chambre de commerce d'Angoulème [16] <2ème série> – obverse](https://en.numista.com/catalogue/photos/angouleme_notgeld/5fa439ef700946.08922542-180.jpg)
![50 centimes - Chambre de commerce d'Angoulème [16] <2ème série> – reverse](https://en.numista.com/catalogue/photos/angouleme_notgeld/5fa439efaf2c80.91220535-180.jpg)
![50 centimes - Chambre de commerce d'Angoulème [16] <3ème série> – obverse](https://en.numista.com/catalogue/photos/angouleme_notgeld/5fa445b419f369.61565766-180.jpg)