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5 Cents Camp Atterbury PoW Canteen
| Issuer | Camp Atterbury Internment Camp Canteen |
|---|---|
| Year | 1942 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Camb#8805 |
| Obverse description | Printed on yellow paper in dark blue letterpress ink, the voucher is divided into two panels: the larger left panel carries the canteen inscriptions and a red serial number prefixed by 'No', while the right panel, framed by a bold rectangular border, bears the denomination numeral and unit in large type. A pattern of small punch-hole perforations is distributed across the face, serving as a security cancellation device. The warning 'NOT GOOD IF DETACHED' appears in the lower-left corner of the main panel. |
|---|---|
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| Protection description | Multiple small circular punch-hole perforations distributed across the voucher face, serving as a security and cancellation measure. |
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| Comments |
Camp Atterbury, established in 1942 near Edinburgh, Indiana, held both German and Italian prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention's requirement that canteen facilities be provided to internees. U.S. Army PoW camp canteen money was deliberately made non-transferable — the perforation served as a simple but effective mechanism to distinguish camp scrip from ordinary currency, reducing the risk of notes escaping the canteen economy into surrounding communities.
The Geneva Convention obligation also meant the U.S. government had to maintain at least nominal accounting of canteen profits, which were theoretically credited back to prisoners. Whether that accounting was scrupulous at Atterbury is a separate question.