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5 Pfennig Gefangenenlager
| Issuer | Gefangenenlager Langensalza |
|---|---|
| Year | |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Plain white note printed in black Gothic (Fraktur) letterpress with a central olive-yellow guilloche underprint in a horizontal dumbbell form, flanked by bold numeral '5' denominators at left and right. The legend 'Nur Gefangenengeld' appears at the top left, with a serial number panel at upper right; the issuer legend 'Gefangenenlager Langensalza.' is set at lower left in two lines, accompanied by a manuscript authorisation signature at lower right. A faint circular monogram watermark is visible at centre within the guilloche. |
|---|---|
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| Protection description | Circular embossed dry-stamp impression with an interlaced monogram on the reverse, applied as an official authentication seal. |
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| Comments |
Langensalza was one of the largest prisoner-of-war camps in Germany during the First World War, at its peak holding tens of thousands of Russian prisoners. Camp scrip of this type was issued as a control measure — preventing prisoners from accumulating Reichsmark currency that could fund escape attempts or black-market dealings with guards. The 5 Pfennig denomination is the lowest in the Langensalza series, intended for small canteen transactions.
The embossed dry stamp is the only authentication device on the note — no serial numbers, no colored inks. Forgery by prisoners was a known problem across German Lagergeld systems generally, and the relative simplicity of Langensalza issues made them more vulnerable than most.