French 10 Centimes Encased Stamp (Lecluselle et Becquart)

France · 1915 · 10 centimes

This piece features a French 10 centimes stamp, likely a Sower definitive, encased in a circular metal holder. The holder serves as an advertisement for Lecluselle et Becquart, a coal transport company located at 20, boulevard Papin in Lille.

Encased stamps like this were created as emergency currency (Notgeld) in France during World War I due to a shortage of small denomination coins. This particular example also functioned as a promotional item for a local coal transport business in Lille.