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2 Mark Gefangenen-Lager
| Issuer | Gefangenen-Lager Chemnitz (Prisoner of War Camp, Chemnitz) |
|---|---|
| Year | |
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| Printer | Alexander Wiede, Chemnitz |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Gefangenen-Lager GUT FÜR ZWEI 2 MARK Chemnitz. Kein öffentliches Zahlungsmittel. |
| Reverse description | Red dense dash-pattern underprint covers the entire field, interrupted by four plain reserved panels each containing a red Imperial German eagle vignette, arranged symmetrically at the upper and lower centre positions. A central black ornamental cartouche with scrolling acanthus headpiece and tailpiece encloses a rectangular text panel bearing the redemption clause in German script. Denomination indicators '2 MARK' appear in black at all four corners of the note, with the printer's imprint 'Alexander Wiede Chemnitz' at the foot centre. |
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| Comments |
POW camp scrip from Chemnitz presents a practical problem for collectors: these notes were internal currency only, designed to circulate within the wire and never leave it. Most were destroyed when the camp closed, either by the administration or by prisoners who had no use for them once repatriated. Alexander Wiede was a local Chemnitz printer with no particular specialization in security printing, which shows — the production values are modest and the notes were never intended to resist forgery, only to function.
The 2 Mark denomination sits at the upper end of typical camp scrip values, where purchasing power within the canteen system was tightly controlled to prevent accumulation of funds that might finance escape attempts.