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5 Centimes - Hospital du Mas-Éloi
| Issuer | Hôpital du Mas-Éloi (Blessés Allemands) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1914-1921 |
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| Composition | Paper |
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| Obverse description | Plain black letterpress print on cream paper stock. The institution name and unit designation appear at the top, followed by a wavy ornamental rule and the denomination in large bold type at centre. A serial number is handwritten in ink at the upper right, and a manuscript signature of the administrative officer appears below the printed signature line at the foot. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Plain unprinted reverse bearing a circular violet handstamp at the lower right, partially legible, relating to the issuing hospital establishment. A rectangular adhesive paper remnant is affixed near the upper centre, likely from prior mounting. |
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| Comments |
Hôpital du Mas-Éloi was a French facility designated specifically for wounded German prisoners of war during and immediately after the First World War. The "Blessés Allemands" designation — German wounded — appears in the issuer title itself, which is unusual: most prisoner-of-war camp scrip omits any reference to the nationality of its captive users. These small-denomination paper tokens allowed POWs to make minor purchases within the facility without handling official French currency, a standard practice under the 1907 Hague Convention's provisions for prisoner labor and canteen access.
The seven-year span of validity reflects the slow repatriation process that dragged well into 1920 for many German prisoners held in France.