Catalog
1 Piastre Alexandria Internment Camp
| Issuer | Alien Internment Camp, Alexandria |
|---|---|
| Year | 1914-1921 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Paper |
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| Obverse description | Plain cream paper with perforated edges on all sides, printed in black letterpress. The camp name and location appear in two lines at the top, followed by the denomination in bold block capitals. A manuscript serial number is handwritten in ink below the denomination line. A large red cursive authorisation signature is applied diagonally across the face of the note. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Entirely unprinted, the reverse presents a plain cream paper surface with perforated edges on all sides, showing only minor toning and handling marks consistent with circulation. |
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| Comments |
Issued by British military authorities to control spending within the civilian internment facilities established around Alexandria during World War One, these camp vouchers circulated as a closed currency — redeemable only within the camp canteen system and worthless outside the wire. The practical purpose was straightforward: prevent internees from accumulating spendable cash that could fund escape attempts or bribery.
Alexandria held a mixed population of enemy aliens, primarily Ottoman and German nationals, caught in Egypt when hostilities began. The date range extending to 1921 reflects how long some internees remained held after the Armistice, awaiting repatriation under postwar administrative arrangements that moved slowly.
Paper camp currency from this region and period survives in very small numbers — most was deliberately voided or destroyed upon camp closure.