Catalog
1 Mark Karlsruhe PoW Camp
| Issuer | Inspektion der Kriegs-Gefangenenlager des 14. Armeekorps, Karlsruhe |
|---|---|
| Year | 1915 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Rectangular |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Printed in dark blue-black ink on red cloth, the voucher carries the large denomination numeral '1' at lower left alongside the cursive letterpress legend 'Eine Mark' set against a wavy-line underprint. The header bears the disclaimer 'Kein öffentliches Zahlungsmittel' in Gothic script, with a small decorative vignette above centre. Validity and issuing authority inscriptions appear in the lower right quadrant, with a serial number strip and cross ornaments along the right margin, and the notice 'Gesetzlich geschützt.' at lower left. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Kein öffentliches Zahlungsmittel 1 Eine Mark Gültig nur innerhalb des Lagers, sonst ohne jeden Wert. Karlsruhe i. B., 1. Oktober 1915. Inspektion der Kriegs-Gefangenenlager des 14. Armeekorps -:- Abrechnungsstelle Gesetzlich geschützt. (Translation: Not a public means of payment. 1 One Mark. Valid only within the camp, otherwise without any value. Karlsruhe in Baden, October 1, 1915. Inspection of the Prisoner-of-War Camps of the 14th Army Corps. Settlement Office. Legally protected.) |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
The 14th Army Corps inspection authority at Karlsruhe administered prisoner-of-war camps across Baden, and the cloth token currency it issued in 1915 was a practical solution to a specific problem: preventing camp scrip from being used outside the wire. Paper notes could be concealed and passed off as conventional currency; red cloth could not. The material itself was the security feature.
Fabric PoW issues from this period are among the more fragile survivors of the German camp money system — cloth deteriorates where paper endures, and few examples avoided the fraying and staining that comes from genuine handling in harsh conditions.