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5 Centimes - Camp de Coëtquidan
| Issuer | Dépôts de Prisonniers de Guerre de la 10e Région |
|---|---|
| Year | 1914-1918 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Card (buff) |
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| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Issued on plain buff card stock, the voucher is printed in black letterpress with the heading 'DEPOTS DE PRISONNIERS DE GUERRE / de la 10e Région' across the top and the denomination 'Cinq centimes' in large bold type at centre. A circular violet control handstamp is applied to the left portion of the face, with two manuscript signatures inscribed below the printed designations 'Le Commandant' and 'Le Comptable'. A handwritten serial number completes the validation of this austerely typeset prisoner-of-war camp issue. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse is entirely unprinted, consisting of plain buff card stock with no text, vignette, or ornamental element of any kind, as confirmed by the image provided. |
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| Comments |
Camp de Coëtquidan, a military training ground in Brittany, was repurposed during the First World War as a prisoner of war camp falling under the 10th Military Region (headquartered at Rennes). French POW camps issued their own fractional card money to manage internal transactions — preventing prisoners from accumulating French currency that could facilitate escape attempts or be spent outside the wire.
The dual-authentication system of handstamp plus manuscript signatures was typical of camp-issued scrip, where no engraved security printing was available and each note was effectively validated by hand. Buff card stock was the material of convenience, not design.
Coëtquidan held predominantly German prisoners, and the camp continued in military use long after 1918 — it remains an active French military academy today.