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2 Heller Aschach PoW Camp
| Issuer | K.u.k. Kriegsgefangenenlager Aschach an der Donau |
|---|---|
| Year | 1916-1918 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | 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 |
| In circulation to | Yes |
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| Obverse description | Austro-Hungarian double-headed eagle vignette at top centre, camp title in Gothic blackletter script below. Large denomination numeral "2" flanked by "Zwei" and "Heller" in blackletter type at centre; "Lagergeld" below. Two manuscript signatures flank centre, captioned "Verwaltungsoffizier" (left) and "Lagerkommandant" (right). Printer imprint at foot. Dashed border frames the entire note. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse is identical in design to the obverse, printed on plain paper with no additional text or vignette, presenting the same blackletter camp title, denomination, signatures, and dashed border. |
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| Comments |
Aschach an der Donau, a small market town on the upper Danube in Upper Austria, housed one of the Habsburg monarchy's larger prisoner-of-war camps during the war years. The camp administration issued its own fractional currency — including this 2 Heller denomination — to control internal commerce and prevent Austrian coinage from accumulating in prisoner hands. The printer, Haas & Comp. of Steyr, was a regional firm whose proximity to the camp made logistical sense; Steyr is roughly forty kilometers away.
Camp scrip of this type was rendered worthless the moment a prisoner was repatriated or the camp dissolved, which is precisely why survivors are scarce.