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1 Mark Helmstedt; PoW Camp
| Issuer | Offizier-Gefangenen-Lager Helmstedt |
|---|---|
| Year | 1914-1918 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Mark |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Printed in dark ink on light blue-green paper, the obverse is laid out within a plain rectangular border with a secondary inner frame. Denomination numeral '1' appears in each corner, with the text 'Gutschein über' in the upper register and the large bold letterpress legend 'EINE MARK' occupying the central band. The issuing authority 'Offizier-Gefangenen-Lager Helmstedt' is printed in two lines at the foot of the note. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 1 Gutschein über EINE MARK Offizier-Gefangenen-Lager Helmstedt |
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| Comments |
Offizier-Gefangenen-Lager Helmstedt was an officer prisoner-of-war camp in Lower Saxony, and like most German PoW installations during the First World War, it operated its own internal currency to prevent captives from accumulating Reichsmark that could fund escape attempts. These camp marks were only redeemable within the canteen system — useless outside the wire by design.
The Lagergeld series at Helmstedt is catalogued under Campbell but remains poorly documented in terms of print quantities or the camp's precise inmate population. Officer camps (Offizierlager) were typically smaller than enlisted installations, which likely kept circulation numbers low.