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1 Cent Fort Sheridan; PoW Camp
| Issuer | Fort Sheridan Prisoner of War Canteen |
|---|---|
| Year | 1943-1946 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Red letterpress print on pink paper. The upper portion carries the issuing authority inscription in two lines, below which a serial number prefixed by 'No.' appears at centre-left alongside a 'NOT GOOD IF DETACHED' warning. The denomination '1 CENT' is set within a ruled rectangular panel at right. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | FORT SHERIDAN, ILLINOIS PRISONER OF WAR CANTEEN NOT GOOD IF DETACHED No. 1 CENT |
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| Comments |
Fort Sheridan, on the Lake Michigan shore north of Chicago, held Axis prisoners under the Geneva Convention framework that required the U.S. military to provide canteen access for POWs. Rather than allowing hard currency to circulate within the camp — a security and escape-risk concern — the Army issued scrip denominated in cents, usable only at the camp canteen and redeemable for nothing outside the wire.
The pink paper stock was almost certainly a deliberate differentiator, making the scrip visually distinct from any U.S. currency and immediately identifiable if found on an escaping prisoner. Fort Sheridan processed both German and Italian nationals across its operational years.