Catalog
½ Piastre Alexandria Internment Camp
| Issuer | Alien Internment Camp, Alexandria |
|---|---|
| Year | 1914-1921 |
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| Value | ½ Piastre (0.005) |
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| Obverse description | Plain cream stock with perforated edges on all four sides, printed in black letterpress with the camp name and denomination arranged in three lines. A red manuscript signature is applied diagonally across the face. A sequential serial number in black is printed at the lower right beneath a ruled line. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Unprinted plain cream paper with perforated edges on all sides, showing age toning and minor foxing consistent with the issue period. |
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| Comments |
Emergency scrip issued by British military authorities for use within the alien internment facilities at Alexandria during and after the First World War. These camps held civilian enemy nationals — primarily Austro-Hungarian and German subjects stranded in Egypt when hostilities began — and the scrip was introduced to allow internal canteen transactions while preventing any access to Egyptian currency that might facilitate escape or external contact.
The prolonged date range reflects the slow demobilization process; many internees were not repatriated until well into 1919 or 1920. Camp scrip of this type was typically destroyed upon closure, making survivors genuinely uncommon.