5 Cents Camp Atterbury PoW Canteen

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.