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5 Mark Frankfurt am Main; PoW Camp
| Issuer | Inspektion der Kriegsgefangenenlager im Bereich des XVIII. Armee-Korps |
|---|---|
| Year | 1917 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5 Mark |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Brown letterpress print on an orange guilloche underprint with an ornate foliate border running the full perimeter. The central denomination cartouche, rendered in dark brown with acanthus-scroll flanking, carries the large numeral '5' and the legend 'FÜNF MARK' in bold type, with diamond-shaped ornaments to either side. Below the cartouche appear two manuscript facsimile signatures over their respective title designations 'Der Inspekteur' and 'Der Adjutant', the issuance place and date 'FRANKFURT/M den 1. Juni 1917', a black serial number, and two lines of small-type redemption regulations. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Plain cream-white paper, unprinted save for a faint show-through of the obverse design visible as a ghost image of the central numeral and lettering. No deliberate reverse printing or decoration is present. |
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| Comments |
The XVIII. Armee-Korps, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, administered a network of prisoner-of-war camps across its military district during the First World War. The Inspectorate issued its own camp currency to prevent prisoners from accumulating Reichsmark — official money that could fund escape attempts or circulate in the local economy if smuggled out. These scrip notes were valid only within the camp system under that corps' jurisdiction.
The 5 Mark denomination sits at the high end for PoW scrip, suggesting use for canteen purchases or internal labor wage credits rather than petty transactions. Survival rates for German PoW camp currency vary sharply by issuing authority — many were destroyed at armistice, and the XVIII. Korps issues are among the less frequently encountered.