5 Centimes - Nevers

Nevers was one of dozens of French towns that hosted prisoner-of-war internment camps during the First World War, and like many such camps, it issued its own scrip to control internal commerce and prevent hard currency from reaching enemy nationals. These fractional notes — centimes denominations in particular — covered the smallest transactions within the camp economy: tobacco, soap, minor canteen purchases. The issuing authority was the depot administration itself, not any civilian or municipal body.

Paper camp scrip of this type survives poorly. It was never intended to outlast the war.