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20 Mark Plassenburg; PoW Camp
| Issuer | K. Offiziersgefangenenlager Plassenburg (Imperial Officers' Prisoner of War Camp, Plassenburg) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1914-1918 |
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| Reference(s) | Camb#3372 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | K. Offiziersgefangenenlager GUT FÜR ZWANZIG 20 MARK Plassenburg. Kein öffentliches Zahlungsmittel. (Translation: Imperial officers' prisoner of war camp. Good for twenty mark. No public means of payment.) |
| Reverse description | Printed in black over an orange underprint, the reverse carries a central guilloche panel surrounded by four Imperial German eagles at the cardinal points. The denomination '20 MARK' is inscribed at the top, with detailed camp regulations in Gothic-style text below, and the printer's imprint 'ALEXANDER WIEDE CHEMNITZ' at the foot. |
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| Comments |
Plassenburg, the Renaissance fortress above Kulmbach in Bavaria, was repurposed early in the war as an officers' prisoner of war camp — Offizierslager, not an enlisted men's facility, which under the Hague Conventions entitled its occupants to canteen privileges and a degree of internal economic life. Camp scrip like this 20 Mark piece was the practical result: a closed currency preventing inmates from accumulating Reichsmarks that might fund an escape attempt.
Alexander Wiede of Chemnitz handled a significant volume of German internment and PoW camp printing during the war years. Campbell 3372 is among the higher denominations documented for this issuer, suggesting officers' purchasing power within the camp was taken seriously.