25 Centimes - Chambres de Commerce - Hérault [34] Brass

French Chambers of Commerce began issuing emergency token coinage during World War I when metal shortages and hoarding stripped small change from everyday commerce almost entirely. The Hérault department's chamber, centered on Montpellier, continued striking these necessité pieces into the early 1920s — well past the armistice — because the underlying coin shortage persisted long after the guns stopped. The two catalogue references suggest at least two distinct emissions within the 1920–1922 window, likely differentiated by die variety or edge treatment.