Lot #550: Rare France 1923 One Franc Token Coin - Seated Mercury - Caduceus - "Bon Pour 1 Franc" - ("Domard") - (Chambres de Commerce) - over 100 years old!

Obverse: Features Mercury, the Roman god of commerce, seated and facing left. He holds a "caduceus" (a winged staff with two snakes) in his hand. The design is by Joseph-François Domard. The inscription reads COMMERCE • INDUSTRIE with the date 1923 at the bottom. Reverse: Features the denomination 1 FRANC in the center. The inscription CHAMBRES • DE • COMMERCE • DE • FRANCE surrounds the rim. Above the denomination is the phrase BON POUR ("Good for"), indicating its status as a base metal token of exchange rather than legal tender silver. The 1923 French "Bon Pour 1 Franc" token coin is a historically significant "emergency" issue from the Third Republic. Produced during the aftermath of World War I, these coins were issued not by the central bank, but by the Chamber of Commerce of France to address a severe shortage of silver coinage. After World War I, the value of silver rose so high that silver 1 franc coins were being melted down for their bullion value. To keep the economy moving, the Chambers of Commerce issued these "jetons" (tokens) in base metal to represent the value of one franc. These coins are often referred to as "Domard" types due to the artist's signature. They remained in heavy circulation until the late 1920s when the French currency was stabilized. Dimensions: Aluminum-Bronze. 23 mm. 4 g. Pickup category timeslot {A}