10 Cents Pryor PoW Canteen

Pryor, Oklahoma was the site of a German prisoner of war camp during the Second World War, one of hundreds established across the American interior under the Geneva Convention framework that obligated the U.S. to house and feed Axis prisoners. Canteen scrip of this type was issued specifically to prevent POWs from accumulating U.S. currency, which could theoretically fund escape attempts — a concern taken seriously enough to generate an entire parallel monetary system across the camp network.

The Pryor issue is among the more locally produced examples, printed on-site rather than ordered through a central supply. Cambridge 8429 reflects that improvised origin.