1 Mark Quedlinburg; PoW Camp

Mannschaftsgefangenenlager Quedlinburg was one of several lower-rank prisoner-of-war camps established across Germany during the First World War to hold captured enlisted men — "Mannschaften" as distinct from officers. Internal camp currencies of this type were introduced to control what prisoners could acquire and to prevent the accumulation of Reichsmark by men who might attempt escape. The 1 Mark denomination sat at the practical middle of the camp's scrip range, usable at canteen facilities but not easily saved into meaningful sums.

Serial numbering on these issues served an administrative rather than anti-counterfeiting function — camp authorities needed to account for scrip in circulation against canteen float balances.