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5 Mark Schwarmstedt; PoW Camp
| Issuer | Offiziergefangenenlager Schwarmstedt |
|---|---|
| Year | 1915-1918 |
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| Value | 5 Mark |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | OFFIZIERGEFANGENENLAGER SCHWARMSTEDT GUT FÜR FÜNF MARK 5 MARK Dieses Lagergeld gilt nur als Zahlungsmittel innerhalb des Lagers. Der Betrag für diesen Gutschein wird bei Entlassung des Gefangenen bar ausgezahlt, bei Überweisung in ein anderes Lager dahin überwiesen. Scheine, bei denen die Nummer ganz oder teilweise fehlt, werden nicht eingelöst. (Translation: Officer prisoner of war camp Schwarmstedt. Good for 5 mark. This camp money is only valid as currency within the camp. The amount for this voucher will be paid out in cash upon the prisoner's release, or transferred if they are moved to another camp. Notes on which the number is completely or partially missing will not be redeemed.) |
| Reverse description | Plain paper reverse with a single circular violet handstamp at left, enclosing a double-headed eagle device and the legend of the camp treasury commission around the circumference. |
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| Comments |
Schwarmstedt was one of several German officer prisoner-of-war camps where internal camp currency was issued to allow captives to purchase goods from the canteen without handling Reichsmark. The system served the German administration as much as it served the prisoners — it prevented real money from accumulating among detainees who might use it to bribe guards or fund escapes.
Officer camps operated under different conditions than enlisted camps, per the 1907 Hague Convention, which required that officer prisoners receive pay commensurate with their rank. The camp scrip was the mechanism through which that obligation was technically fulfilled while keeping spendable currency contained within the wire.