Notgeld notes: POW camps

Notgeld notes: POW Camps:

Gefangenen-Lager Dyrotz (Dyrotz Prison Camp) notgeld notes from World War I or the immediate post-war period.
• Issuer: Gefangenen-Lager Dyrotz, which translates to “Dyrotz Prisoner of War Camp.”
• Location: Dyrotz was a German prisoner-of-war camp.
• Period: Primarily World War I (1914–1918) and the immediate aftermath.
• Use: These notes were “Gutscheine” (vouchers) used within the camp economy to facilitate trade among prisoners and camp stores. They were not valid for general 

Denominations
• 5 Pfennig
• 50 Pfennig
• 2 Mark
• 3 Mark
• 5 Mark

 Significance
• These notes were used by prisoners of war within the camp, functioning similarly to a controlled barter system.
• They were part of a closed economy that provided limited purchasing power for prisoners, often for food or small necessities.
• The issuing authority was the camp command, and the notes were valid only within the camp (no use outside).
• Such notes are notgeld (“emergency money”) but from a prisoner of war camp, which is a rarer and more specialized notgeld subset. 

(Some more coming up in next post)