Commendations?

[Gormash]

I've been wondering for some time now what commendations are.
Apparently you can deliver them to an officer in the major town to gain horde/alliance commendations, but where and how can I get them and what are they good for?

[Whizzbang]

Pretty sure you can't get them now, but when the AW gate opening frenzy was on, you could hand in materials i exchange for Commendations and then go hand them in for rep with the main factions :)

[Gormash]

Then why keep them around?
Surely they should disappear a few months after your server finally finished the war effort? After all, all the questgivers for seasonal quests disappear even if you have the items in your backpack.

[zkajan]

Then why keep them around?
Surely they should disappear a few months after your server finally finished the war effort? After all, all the questgivers for seasonal quests disappear even if you have the items in your backpack.
because there may be someone that used to play back then and quit without handing in all his insignias, and now wants to start playing again and so he can hand them in. same reason the BG quest guy still takes the old-style turnins for BGs