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20 Mark Gefangenen-Lager
| Issuer | Gefangenen-Lager Chemnitz (Prisoner of War Camp, Chemnitz) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1914 |
| Type | Local banknote |
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| Obverse description | Printed in brown and black on plain white paper, the note is framed by an ornate floral and scroll guilloche border. A central horizontal vignette of acanthus scrollwork frames an oval cartouche bearing the numeral "20" in large brown letterpress type; flanking the cartouche in bold black type are the words "ZWANZIG" to the left and "MARK" to the right, with the overprinted legend "GUT FÜR" above. The denomination numerals "20" appear in each corner, two small Imperial German eagles are printed at the lower left and right of centre, and the issuing authority legend "Chemnitz." together with the disclaimer "Kein öffentliches Zahlungsmittel." appear at the foot. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Gefangenen-Lager GUT FÜR ZWANZIG MARK 20 Chemnitz. Kein öffentliches Zahlungsmittel. |
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| Comments |
POW camp scrip issued in the opening weeks of the First World War, before any standardized system for prisoner currency existed in Germany. Each camp improvised its own solution — Chemnitz turned to a local commercial printer, Alexander Wiede, who was presumably already supplying the camp with administrative stationery. The result is a piece of functional emergency finance rather than anything designed with longevity in mind.
Chemnitz held primarily French and Belgian prisoners in this early period. Scrip at this denomination — 20 Mark — was substantial enough that it would have passed between prisoners for significant canteen transactions, not pocket change.