Lot 1995

Description

Great Britain - France, WWI canteen vouchers, 11th Royal Fusiliers, ten centimes (4), twenty centimes (6), fifty centimes (4) and one franc, all from the same booklet (originally for five francs value) and numbered 07881 apart from a 10c and 50c (numbered 07994). Extremely fine and rare. (15 vouchers + 5 franc booklet cover)

These vouchers were introduced to counteract the difficulty in obtaining small change for the French five franc note with which the men of the battalion were paid, neither the shop keepers nor the canteens had anything like enough change available and, consequently, the men were unable to buy what they wanted. Books of vouchers were devised and printed in England and sent to the Battalion Headquarters where they were issued to the troops in exchange for their five franc notes. They were effective and popular, so much so, that they were used, not only by the 11th (Service) Battalion (RF) but by others in the same Division. They were freely accepted in payment by the village shop keepers who brought their vouchers to the Battalion HQ once a week and received payment.