Nanterre's prisoner-of-war camp scrip was never intended to outlast the armistice. These fractional franc notes — issued in violet paper to distinguish them from official currency — circulated exclusively within the camp's internal economy, allowing prisoners to purchase goods from the canteen without handling French legal tender. The handstamp was the sole authenticating mechanism, applied by camp administration, which means forgery risk was contained by the closed environment rather than by any sophisticated security design.
Nanterre's prisoner-of-war camp scrip was never intended to outlast the armistice. These fractional franc notes — issued in violet paper to distinguish them from official currency — circulated exclusively within the camp's internal economy, allowing prisoners to purchase goods from the canteen without handling French legal tender. The handstamp was the sole authenticating mechanism, applied by camp administration, which means forgery risk was contained by the closed environment rather than by any sophisticated security design.
Few survived repatriation in 1919.