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5 Mark Dyrotz; PoW Camp
| Issuer | Gefangenen-Lager Dyrotz (Prisoner of War Camp Dyrotz) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1914-1918 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Paper |
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| Printer | Log in to see details |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Plain buff paper printed in black by letterpress. The word "MARK" runs horizontally at top and bottom, and vertically along both side margins, with the numeral 5 in each corner. The central text block sets out the conditions of use in two paragraphs. A violet oval camp handstamp is applied across the central text. The printer's imprint "Druck von H. S. Hermann in Berlin" appears in small type at the lower right margin. |
| Reverse lettering | 5 MARK Gutscheine, welche von andern Personen als Kriegsgefangenen zur Zahlung oder Umwechslung vorgelegt werden, werden nicht anerkannt. Es ist verboten, den Kriegsgefangenen für diesen Gutschein bares Geld oder deutsches Papiergeld einzuwechseln. (Translation: Vouchers presented for payment or exchange by persons other than prisoners of war will not be accepted. It is forbidden to exchange these vouchers for cash or German banknotes for prisoners of war.) |
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| Comments |
Dyrotz was one of dozens of German prisoner-of-war camps that issued their own internal scrip during the First World War, a practical response to the logistical problem of keeping foreign currency out of camp economies. The H.S. Hermann printing house in Berlin supplied a number of these camp issues, working from relatively simple typeset formats that could be quickly customized per facility.
The handstamp was the primary authenticity control — without it, notes were considered invalid and could not be redeemed at the camp canteen. Counterfeiting within camps was a known problem, and some issues were invalidated and replaced mid-war for exactly that reason, though whether Dyrotz specifically underwent a reissue is not firmly documented.