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1 Mark Torgau; PoW Camp
| Issuer | Kommandantur des Offizier-Gefangenenlagers Torgau |
|---|---|
| Year | 1914-1918 |
| Type | Vouchers |
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| Obverse description | Plain black letterpress printing on yellowed paper. The left half carries the issuing authority inscription in four lines, while the right half is occupied by a central vertical band of fine repetitive guilloche-style geometric underprint bearing the large numeral '1' above the denomination 'Mark' in bold black type. Handwritten annotations in blue and black ink appear in the margins, consistent with camp administrative use. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Kommandantur des Offizier-Gefangenenlagers Torgau 1 Mark (Translation: Headquarters of the Torgau officer prisoner of war camp.) |
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| Comments |
Torgau's officer prisoner-of-war camp operated under the fortress complex at Fort Zinna during the First World War, housing captured Allied officers under the terms of the Hague Convention, which mandated that officers not be compelled to labor. With no work to occupy them and no access to civilian commerce, camp administrations across Germany issued their own internal currency — Lagergeld — to allow canteen purchases and settle debts between prisoners without German Reichsmark circulating inside the wire.
Fort Zinna had a notably difficult reputation among PoW camps, associated with harsh conditions and repeated escape attempts. This note circulated in that specific atmosphere.