Catalog
1 Rupee Diyatalawa; PoW Camp
| Issuer | Prisoners of War Camp, Diyatalawa |
|---|---|
| Year | 1901 |
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| In circulation to | Yes |
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| Obverse description | Printed in black and red on a yellow underprint, the voucher bears the British Royal coat of arms as a vignette at upper centre. The face value and conditions of use are set in letterpress across the body of the note, with a handstamped date applied to authorise issue. The overall layout is utilitarian, consistent with field-issued military camp scrip. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Re. 1. GOOD FOR ONE RUPEE Current only within the Prisoners' Enclosure and payable at the Office of the Officer in charge of Prisoners of War, Diyatalawa. |
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| Comments |
Diyatalawa, in the hill country of Ceylon, held Boer prisoners captured during the South African War — at its peak, several thousand men were interned there. The British Army established an internal scrip system to allow basic canteen transactions without real currency passing through the camp, which is the only reason these notes exist at all. They circulate in a closed economy of captivity, not commerce.
Campbell 4802 is among the scarcer denominations from this camp. Prisoner-of-war scrip of this period survives poorly — subject to destruction upon repatriation, confiscation, or simple loss — and Diyatalawa material is substantially less common than the parallel Deadwood Camp issues from St. Helena.