2 Francs - Chambre de Commerce de Périgueux 24

The Chambre de Commerce de Périgueux issued emergency fractional notes during the First World War to address the acute shortage of small coinage — a problem that struck virtually every French département once silver and bronze disappeared into hoarding and wartime metal demands. Chambers of commerce across France were authorized under a 1914 government decree to fill that gap, and Périgueux acted early.

Printed locally by Ronteix rather than sent to a national printer, this 2 Franc piece reflects the genuinely regional character of the French nécessité note system. The watermark security was a deliberate, if modest, countermeasure against forgery at a time when local presses lacked the intaglio capabilities of Paris.