Catalog
10 Mark Karlsruhe PoW Camp
| Issuer | Inspektion der Kriegs-Gefangenenlager des 14. Armeekorps, Karlsruhe |
|---|---|
| Year | 1915 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Yes |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Printed in black on green cloth, the face bears the serial number and suffix letter in the upper register, with the denomination numeral '10' at lower left. The large diagonal letterpress inscription 'Zehn Mark' dominates the centre field, flanked by wavy ornamental rules. Restrictive and issuing authority inscriptions appear at upper left and in the lower right quadrant, with the legend 'Gesetzlich geschützt.' at the lower left margin. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Kein öffentliches Zahlungsmittel 10 Zehn Mark Gültig nur innerhalb des Lagers, sonst ohne jeden Wert. Karlsruhe i. B., 1. Oktober 1915. Inspektion der Kriegs-Gefangenenlager des 14. Armeekorps -:- Abrechnungsstelle Gesetzlich geschützt. (Translation: Not a public means of payment. Ten Mark. Valid only within the camp, otherwise without any value. Karlsruhe in Baden, October 1, 1915. Inspection of the Prisoner-of-War Camps of the 14th Army Corps. Settlement Office. Legally protected.) |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Log in to see details |
| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
Issued by the inspection authority overseeing prisoner-of-war camps under the XIV Army Corps, this cloth token circulated as internal camp currency among prisoners held in the Karlsruhe district during the First World War. Germany's use of dedicated camp money was partly administrative — it prevented prisoners from accumulating Reichsmark that could fund escape attempts — and partly a response to pressure from the International Red Cross, which monitored camp conditions with increasing scrutiny from 1915 onward.
Green cloth was not uncommon for this type of scrip; it was cheap, locally sourceable, and sufficiently distinct from official currency to satisfy military regulations.