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1 Lira Aversa; PoW Camp
| Issuer | Campo Concentramento P.G. - Aversa (Italian Prisoner of War Camp, Aversa) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1942-1943 |
| Type | Vouchers |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Campo concentramento P. G. - Aversa Serie A BUONO PER LIRE UNA Il Comandante del campo Bollo d' Ufficio Vale solo presso lo spaccio del campo. (Translation: Concentration Camp PoW Aversa. Series A. Voucher for one lira. The camp commander. Official stamp. Valid only at the camp canteen.) |
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| Protection type | Handstamp |
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| Comments |
Aversa, a town north of Naples, held Allied prisoners under Italian administration during the North African campaign period. Campo Concentramento P.G. Aversa issued internal scrip denominated in lire — legal tender within the wire, worthless outside it — as a mechanism to control purchasing power and prevent prisoners from accumulating currency usable for escape attempts or black-market dealings with guards.
The handstamp is the only security feature, which tells you exactly how improvised this was. Italian PoW camp money was never centrally standardized; individual camps produced their own instruments with whatever materials were available locally, and Aversa's issues are among the less frequently documented in the literature. Surviving examples are almost entirely from repatriated prisoners' personal effects.