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5 Cents Camp Forrest; PoW Camp
| Issuer | Camp Forrest Prisoner of War Camp Canteen |
|---|---|
| Year | 1943-1946 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Printed entirely in red on buff paper stock, the voucher is divided into two sections by a vertical rule at right. The main left panel carries the issuing authority and location in bold letterpress, with a validity restriction notice and a serial number accompanied by the NOT TRANSFERABLE legend in the lower portion. The right panel encloses the denomination numeral and unit in large bold type within a plain rectangular border. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | PRISONER OF WAR CAMP CANTEEN CAMP FORREST, TENN. Not valid for merchandise purchases after 25 June, 1945 NOT TRANSFERABLE 5 CENTS |
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| Comments |
Camp Forrest, near Tullahoma, Tennessee, operated as one of the largest POW facilities in the American South, holding primarily German and Italian prisoners transferred from North Africa after the Allied campaigns of 1943. The canteen scrip issued there — including this 5-cent denomination — was a deliberate policy instrument: under the Geneva Convention, POWs were entitled to purchase goods, but the U.S. military needed currency that could not be spent off-camp or hoarded as escape funds.
Campbell's reference number for this piece reflects how seriously collectors now treat American POW camp issues, which were produced in small quantities, used hard, and rarely preserved by anyone with a reason to keep them.