Catalog
10 Mark Merseburg; PoW Camp
| Issuer | Mannschaftsgefangenenlager Merseburg |
|---|---|
| Year | 1916 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Mannschaftsgefangenenlager MERSEBURG 10 Mark ZEHN MARK MERSEBURG, den 1. Januar. 1916 Der Kommandant Dieses Lagergeld gilt nur als Zahlungsmittel im Lager und bei den für Arbeitskommandos bezeichneten Verkaufsstellen. Einlösung erfolgt nur durch das Gefangenenlager Merseburg. Scheine, bei denen die Nummer ganz oder teilweise fehlt, werden nicht eingelöst. (Translation: Prisoners of war camp Merseburg. Ten mark. Merseburg, January 1st, 1916. The commander. This camp money is valid only as currency within the camp and at the sales outlets designated for work commandos. Redemption takes place only through the Merseburg prison camp. Notes that are missing the number in whole or in part will not be redeemed.) |
| Reverse description | Reverse is entirely unprinted, left plain with no text, vignette, or ornamental work, consistent with the utilitarian production standards of World War I German prisoner-of-war camp currency. |
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| Comments |
Mannschaftsgefangenenlager Merseburg was a German prisoner-of-war camp for enlisted men — "Mannschaft" specifically excludes officers, who were held under separate arrangements with different privileges. Camp-issued scrip like this 10 Mark piece circulated internally as a control mechanism: it prevented prisoners from accumulating Reichsmarks that could fund escape attempts, and it tied any earnings from camp labor to spending within the wire.
By 1916 the German camp economy was well-established, with thousands of such local issues printed across the country, most by local printers on whatever stock was available. Merseburg's issues are among the more obscure — the camp generated no particular documentation trail that survived the war, making provenance on individual pieces difficult to establish.