2 Cents Papago Park; PoW Camp

Papago Park, outside Phoenix, held German naval and Kriegsmarine personnel — not the typical infantry POW population. The U.S. War Department authorized internal canteen scrip at many camps to prevent genuine currency from circulating among prisoners, who were prohibited from holding American cash. This scrip was printed and issued locally by the camp itself, which accounts for its unambiguously modest production quality.

The camp became infamous in December 1944 when 25 prisoners escaped through a hand-dug tunnel — the largest German POW escape on American soil. All were recaptured within weeks. Scrip from this specific camp carries that notoriety, which has driven collector demand well beyond what the notes' physical attributes would otherwise justify.