Catalog
5 Pfennigs Lechfeld; PoW Camp
| Issuer | Kriegsgefangenenlager Lechfeld (Lechfeld Prisoner of War Camp) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1915 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Kriegsgefangenenlager Lechfeld. Gutschein über 5 fünf Pfennige. Lager Lechfeld, 15. November 1915. Himmer, Augsburg (Translation: Prisoner of war camp Lechfeld. Voucher for five pfennigs. Lechfeld Camp, November 15, 1915) |
| Reverse description | Plain grey paper reverse, entirely unprinted, bearing a single handwritten ink signature across the centre. Three cancellation holes are punched through the note, corresponding to those on the obverse. |
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| Comments |
Lechfeld was an early Bavarian military airfield repurposed almost immediately at the outbreak of war to hold prisoners — primarily French and Russian in the 1914–15 intake. Camp-issued scrip of this kind was not simply a convenience; German military authorities mandated internal currency at POW camps to prevent prisoners from accumulating Reichsmarks that could fund escape attempts. The 5-Pfennig denomination placed it at the lowest tier of the Lechfeld series, intended for canteen transactions too small for higher denominations to handle practically.
Himmer in Augsburg was a logical choice — close, capable, and accustomed to official municipal printing contracts. Grey paper stock was typical of wartime economy print runs where quality material was being rationed elsewhere.