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10 Centimes
| Issuer | Chambres de Commerce de l'Hérault |
|---|---|
| Year | |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
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| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | El Mon.#15.2 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The denomination 10c. is prominently displayed in large raised numerals at the centre of the field, with the figure rendered in a ribbed or lined relief style. A dotted inner border frames the design. The surrounding legend reads CHAMBRES DE COMMERCE in the upper arc and DE L'HÉRAULT in the lower arc, in raised Latin lettering. |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Log in to see details |
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| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
The Chambres de Commerce de l'Hérault issued emergency zinc coinage during World War I when the French government's wartime metal requisitions and the hoarding of small change created an acute shortage of circulating currency. Chambers of commerce across France were authorized to fill the gap, producing their own locally valid tokens. The Hérault issues are among the more regionally specific of these, tied to the department centered on Montpellier.
Zinc was the fallback material precisely because copper, nickel, and aluminum had higher military priority. The alloy corrodes readily in circulation, which is why surviving examples in clean condition are harder to find than their original mintages would suggest.