XIV Armeekorps operated the prisoner of war camp at Karlsruhe during the First World War, and these fractional Pfennig notes were issued specifically for internal camp circulation — a closed economy designed to prevent prisoners from accumulating currency usable outside the wire. The 1 Pfennig denomination is among the smallest monetary tokens issued by any German military authority during that conflict.
The physical size alone tells you something: at under two centimeters in either dimension, handling and forgery resistance were clearly not priorities.
XIV Armeekorps operated the prisoner of war camp at Karlsruhe during the First World War, and these fractional Pfennig notes were issued specifically for internal camp circulation — a closed economy designed to prevent prisoners from accumulating currency usable outside the wire. The 1 Pfennig denomination is among the smallest monetary tokens issued by any German military authority during that conflict.
The physical size alone tells you something: at under two centimeters in either dimension, handling and forgery resistance were clearly not priorities.