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10 Pfennig Gefangenen-Lager
| Issuer | Gefangenen-Lager Dyrotz (Prisoner of War Camp Dyrotz) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1915-1918 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 10 Pfennigs (10 Pfennige) (0.10) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Green and black letterpress gutschein (voucher) on plain paper, enclosed within a decorative guilloche border. The issuer inscription GEFANGENEN-LAGER DYROTZ and GUTSCHEIN appear at the top in bold display type, flanked at each corner by small Imperial German eagle vignettes printed in green. The denomination ZEHN PFENNIG is set in large bold capitals to the left and right, with the numeral 10 in a central dotted-border panel; an anti-counterfeiting warning and the disclaimer KEIN ÖFFENTLICHES ZAHLUNGSMITTEL appear in the lower portion. A dry embossed control stamp is applied to the upper right area. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Green guilloche underprint on plain paper, enclosed within a dotted inner border and outer decorative frame. The denomination 10 PFENNIG is printed in bold black type at the top, bottom, and along both vertical margins. Two paragraphs of regulatory text in the centre state that vouchers presented by anyone other than prisoners of war will not be honoured, and that exchanging the voucher for cash or German paper money is prohibited. An oval purple ink control stamp is applied over the central text area. The printer's imprint BUCHDRUCKEREI OTTO LANGE, BERLIN S 42. appears at the foot. |
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| Comments |
Dyrotz was one of dozens of German POW camps that issued their own internal currency during the First World War — a practical measure to prevent prisoners from accumulating Reichsmark that could fund escape attempts or be passed to locals. This 10 Pfennig note, printed by Otto Lange in Berlin, circulated exclusively within the camp's canteen economy. The dry stamp and ink stamp served as the primary authentication against forgery, a genuine concern given that prisoners with printing or engraving skills occasionally counterfeited camp money.
Dyrotz itself held primarily Russian and French prisoners. Most camp issues from this period were destroyed after repatriation or simply discarded, which makes surviving examples considerably scarcer than their wartime print runs would suggest.