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5 Cents Camp Atterbury PoW Canteen
| Issuer | Camp Atterbury Prisoner of War Canteen, 1560th Service Command Unit |
|---|---|
| Year | 1943-1946 |
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| Value | 5 Cents (0.05 USD) |
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| Obverse description | Red券 stock with dark blue letterpress print throughout. The face is divided into three panels: the left panel carries the vertical inscription 'SERIES V' along its outer edge; the central panel bears the unit designation '1560TH S.C.U.' above the boxed legend 'PRISONER OF WAR CANTEEN', with the cautionary notice 'NOT GOOD IF DETACHED' and a serial number in the lower portion; the right panel, framed by a bold border, displays the denomination '5 CENTS' in large numerals. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Uniformly plain red paper stock with no printed design, text, or ornamentation of any kind. |
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| Comments |
Camp Atterbury, built in 1942 near Edinburgh, Indiana, held thousands of German and Italian prisoners during the latter half of the war. The canteen scrip series — issued in denominations from 1 cent to 1 dollar — was a direct consequence of the 1929 Geneva Convention's requirement that prisoner labor be compensated and that PoWs have access to supplementary goods beyond basic rations. The U.S. Army issued camp-specific scrip precisely to prevent prisoners from accumulating U.S. currency that could facilitate escape.
Red coloration distinguished the 5-cent denomination within the series. The issuing unit, the 1560th Service Command Unit, administered the canteen operation under Army Service Forces oversight.