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WAR PRISONER MONEY AND MEDALS

Reprinted from THE NUMISMATIST 1963

I Internment Camp Money

The guarantee of humane treatment for prisoners of war is an achievement of modern international law. This interesting and important legal problem was discussed at great length at several international conferences at the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century. A kind of ethical and legal code resulted consisting of a comprehensive body of rules and regulations, both written and unwritten. The International Red Cross played an important part in the development and crystallization of those humanitarian ideals as they are embodied today in the provisions of the international law concerning prisoners of war. Its rules have been explicitly or tacitly accepted and to a great extent put into practice by most of the civilized nations of the world. Their disregard, as in the recently reported case of 115 helpless American military prisoners of war murdered in cold blood by the Germans near Malmedy, or in the notorious death camps of Oswiecim and Belsen-Bergen, is a relapse into barbarism, characteristic of the Hitlerite hordes. As a rule, however, the status of prisoners of war is universally respected and they receive a fair treatment from all nations, in accordance with the rules of international law. They may be employed by their captors for certain labors, but must be accorded fair living conditions.

Considerations of war economy and corresponding military precautions created the necessity of issuing special money for the use of prisoners of war. A shortage in currency is often an unavoidable result of national war conditions. It would be greatly increased, of course, if the actual use of national currency would be permitted also to the rising numbers of captives. The issuance of special currency for the exclusive use of war prisoners is therefore an act of national defense in wartime. The use of this special type of money, for which both paper and metal are employed, is restricted in a twofold way. Its circulation is limited to war prisoners, and--even more strictly--to definite internment camps. The prisoners' specially made money, often easily distinguishable through a round or square hole in the center, is excluded from general monetary circulation. The prisoner is not able to buy articles in the ordinary channels of the national commerce. Moreover, he is left without means in case of escape.

These are the ideas and motives underlying the issuance of separate money for prisoners of war.

Obviously, numismatic interest turned quickly to the items of this previously little known type of war emergency money. In the very beginning, most probably, everyone thought that it would be a quickly passing numismatic phenomenon. No one could at that time realize the dimensions that production of war prisoner money would finally reach. All this notwithstanding, the literature on this special kind of money is scarce, incomplete and widely scattered. The appended select bibliography might therefore be welcome to those interested in this field of collecting which probably will be revived soon after the return of peace. It is needless to state that no claim is being made of completeness in the bibliographical data offered below.

No doubt, in the present war, too, internment camp money has been issued. Scanty news on such money issued in Great Britain, particularly in the Isle of Man internment camp for civilian and soldier prisoners of war, has already been brought to the attention of numismatists. A member of the Czechoslovak State Council in London, Mr. Ernest Frischer, recently informed the present writer that internment camp money is in use in the ill-famed concentration camp of Terezin in Bohemia, where about 50,000 Jews are being held by their German "Protectors." According to information received by the War Department in Washington, on the other hand, "no special type of money is issued for the use of prisoners of war held in this country. However, prisoners of war are issued 'canteen checks,' a form of script which is given them in lieu of cash. This script is redeemable for merchandise at prison camp post exchanges. This script is not uniform, each of the several Service Commands procuring it and issuing it to camps within its jurisdiction. No photographs of the canteen checks are available."

Naturally, more detailed and definite information will be available only after the termination of hostilities and the restoration of unimpeded research channels.

II European War-Prisoner Medals

With regard to war prisoner medals, the numismatic situation is completely different from that outlined here for internment camp money. True, there may have been also a "mass production" of such medallic items in Europe during the war of 1914-1918. But it never could have paralleled that of the emergency money for internment camps.

Two motives, above all, caused the issuance of war prisoner medals: the raising of funds for the support of prisoners of war or the amelioration of their condition; and the creation of the commemorative tokens or medals for presentation to captives after their liberation. It is doubtful and highly improbable, that the "mass production" of such medals ever reached in quantity a volume equal to that of war prisoners money. The number issued may well run into hundreds, at most a few thousands, but certainly not many thousands. For, to the best of this author's knowledge, no commemorative war medal in the form of an official decoration to be given to all war prisoners in general was issued by any of the states participating in the First World War. Nor did any of the European states that remained neutral and held members of the belligerents in internment camps, issue commemorative medals for internees. This suggestion may well deserve the attention of the United Nations' military authorities. After the present war a special commemorative medal of honor should be issued, intended for those who had to endure the great hardships of captivity for their country, often suffering undescribable physical and mental restraint. Such a token of gratitude would show to these heroes that they, too, had not been forgotten and that their sacrifice is duly appreciated and will permanently be remembered.

It seems that in the last European war prisoner medals were issued privately only. The extensive search for such medals carried on by the author in numismatic literature and dealers' catalogues as well as through interviewing of collectors and dealers, yielded only four items. Three are of German origin, only one is French. None of these medals has aroused as yet the attention or curiosity of numismatists in general or of collectors of medals in particular.

The medal reproduced here as No. 1, another German war prisoner medal, is a silver medal, of 37.67 grams, measuring forty-one millimeters in diameter. The obverse depicts the full figure of a German prisoner of war, dressed in his uniform, on which a sign PG is visible. Standing on the shore of a river, being of course the Rhine, he holds his hands stretched out to express his fervent longing for his home country. Not only the mountains of the latter are visible on the opposite shore but also the home village with its little church in the foreground. The inscription in the left upper space of the medal, before the soldier's eyes, reads: SEHNSUCHT . The reverse bears the following inscription in a quadrangular space surrounded by ornaments: VOLKSBUND/ZUM SCHUTZE/DER DEUTSCHEN/KRIEGS u. ZIVIL/GEFANGENEN, meaning, "National Society for the Protection of German Military and Civil Prisoners of War." On the rim of the medal name and place of the producing firm are visible: C. Poellat, Schrobenhausen. The designer's name does not appear on the medal. No year is given. In accordance with the aims of the issuing society the medal was probably destined to promote interest in and support of the German prisoners of war in enemy land. No records or accounts of the activities of this society were available in this country. Nevertheless it is safe to assume the following. Sending of food parcels from Germany was possible only in the first years of war. But even later, in the period of grave food shortage, funds were still needed and actually raised for clothing, and particularly for books, which were continuously sent to prisoner camps in great quantities. A specimen of this medal is in the collection of Dr. Bruno Kisch, New York City.

No other war prisoners medals dating back to the First World War have come to the attention of the present author. Yet, there may be some that eluded him. He therefore would appreciate any additional information that readers should be kind enough to send him

The study of European money and medals issued for prisoners of war in 1914-1918, aroused--little wonder--the curiosity as to whether similar items came into existence in this country too. No war prisoners money or medal originating in the last war is known to the author. In his collection, however, five related items are found, four small tokens and one large medal, which are deserving the historian's and medallist's attention. All of them picture war prisons of ill fame. Four pertain to the Revolutionary War, the fifth to the Civil War. Thus it is pertinent to consider them all in this connection.

No. 3 B, of the same type and make looking almost identical with, but differing in details from No. 3 A, must be considered as a "revised edition" of the latter. The obverse is identical with that of No. 3 A with only one deviation: No. 3 B has an entrance door instead of the empty space in the front wall of the building. The reverse shows more divergencies. The wording and arrangement of the main inscription are identical with that of No. 3 A. But the mistake in the word PRISON is here corrected, the B having been replaced by a P. In 3 B the surrounding open chain occupies only the upper half of the margin, while the title of the token series takes its place in the corresponding space in the lower half: "AUG. B. SAGE'S HISTORICAL TOKENS." The half-circles of the chain in the upper part and of the series title in the lower part thus form a kind of wreath surrounding the main inscription of five lines. The numeral, No. 1, appears here in the lower part and is separated from the last line of the inscription, REVOLUTION, by a small asterisk between two brief exergual lines. Asterisk and lines are missing in No. 3 A.

Both types of the token, 3 A as well as 3 B, have on the obverse below the left corner of the fence, the initial L, representing the name of the engraver, George H. Lovett, who is listed in the New York City Directory of 1859 as die-sinker at 131 Fulton Street. He executed all the Sage tokens and several very pretty Washington medals.

The site of this "modern bastille" was City Hall Park. It was built as the second jail, in succession, in the City of New York in 1757 and completed in 1759. In the revolutionary period it was memorable during the occupation of the City by the British forces, from 1776 to 1783, as a British military prison, known as "Provost" and later as "Martyr's Prison", still later as "Debtor's Prison". In 1830 it was reconstructed and fitted to receive public records, henceforth known as "Register's Office" or "Hall of Records". It was finally demolished in 1903 to make way for the Subway. Coins, buttons, and human bones were found in the excavation. A tablet, erected in 1907, on a granite monument in the Park still marks the site of the "Old Provost."

This British military prison, under the superintendence of the ill-famed Captain Cunningham, Provost-Marshall--from whom it took its name--and his deputy, Sergeant Keefe, was the scene of great brutalities to American, or, in the language of the times, "rebel" prisoners during the Revolution. The Provost was destined, as John Pintard, the meritorious New York historian, tells us, for the more notorious rebels, civil, naval, and military. An admission into this prison was enough to appall the stoutest heart. On the second floor, called derisively "Congress Hall," prisoners of note were confined, citizens of distinction and many American officers, among them the famous Colonel Ethan Allen and Judge Fell, of Bergen county, New Jersey. Could these dumb walls speak, John Pintard exclaims, what scenes of anguish, what tales of agonizing woe, might they disclose. In his aforementioned article he gave a vivid account of the "Old Jail's" history well known to him from the personal reminiscences of many a distinguished prisoner still living in his day.

In contrast to the aforementioned tokens, No. 6 and No. 7 are historical medals in the specific meaning of this term. No description or mention of either of them have come to this writer's attention.

The medal No. 6 measures forty-four millimetres in diameter and was struck in silver, bronze, and white metal. The American Numismatic Society has a specimen of each type in its collection. The obverse shows the "Old Sugar House, Rose Street, N. Y.," a large five-story building, of which the front and side are visible. The space between the third and fourth story of the front is occupied by the number 1763, the year of its foundation, as the legend says. The space between the uppermost window on the gable front and the two lower windows has as inscription these letters: BRS. All windows are grated. Above the representation of the building one reads the following half-circular inscription: OLD SUGAR HOUSE ROSE ST. N. Y. Below, there appears this inscription: FOUNDED 1763 DEMOLISHED 1892. On the reverse the half-circular legend, A BRITISH PRISON, is placed above a small representation of the frontside of the gable. The latter shows the uppermost window in the highest corner, and underneath two more grated windows in a row. Above the left window the initial I, above the right one the initial S are visible. The lower part of the reverse is occupied by a key in horizontal situation being the ill-famed prison-key, underneath shackles are placed. The ornamental arrangement is in symmetrical correspondence with that in the upper part. In the middle of the space one reads in two lines: DURING THE/ REVOLUTION.

No. 7 is the only medal known to the author referring to a military prison in the Civil War. No specimen of it is found in the museum of the American Numismatic Society. Nor do the catalogues, guide-books, and other pamphlets published by the Libby Prison War Museum Association in Chicago mention this medal that was probably issued by this very association. There is nothing about it in the files of the Chicago Historical Society. The Chicago newspapers of 1893 might have some article or note. But as they are not indexed it would take a great deal of time and labor to search through them.

The reverse of the medal bears an extensive legend in eighteen lines. These are surrounded by a circular panel, showing on top clasped hands, at the bottom crossed sabres. The panel inscription reads: NO SECTIONALISM--1861--NO NORTH--NO SOUTH--1865--NO ANIMOSITY. The eighteen-line legend gives an historical account of Libby Prison and its transformation into the Chicago War Museum:

OCCUPIED BY LIBBY AND SON, SHIPCHANDLERS AND GROCERS. IN 1861 TAKEN BY THE CONFEDERATED AND CONVERTED INTO A PRISON. FROM 1861 TO 1864, 40,000 UNION PRISONERS WERE CONFINED IN IT. LARGEST NUMBER AT ONE TIME 1400.

FOR OFFICERS EXCLUSIVELY IN 1864-5. FEBRUARY 9 1864, 109 UNION OFFICERS MADE THEIR ESCAPE BY THE CELEBRATED TUNNEL PLANNED BY COL. THOS. E. ROSE. MOVED TO CHICAGO IN 1889, CONVERTED INTO A NATIONAL WAR MUSEUM OWNED BY THE LIBBY PRISON WAR MUSEUM A'SSN.

C. F. GUNTHER. PRES; L. MANASSE. VICE PRES; C. E. KREMER. SEC. AND TREAS. 1893

The history of Libby Prison as sad as it is romantic is too well known to be retold here even briefly. The New York Public Library has in its Americana collection no less than 222 items on Civil War prisoners and prisons. Many of them are devoted exclusively or partially to Libby Prison. The selected bibliography appended to this article will guide historically interested readers. With reference to the medal under consideration it is surprising that the famous commander of the prison, Major Thomas P. Turner, found no mention in its historical legend. He "was always a gentleman," as one of the former prisoners wrote in his memoirs.

"The removal of Libby Prison from Richmond, Va. to Chicago was a project never before equaled in the history of building moving and one that will not be surpassed for years to come. This famous old structure as a Confederate prison is too well known to need the repetition of its history, and it is enough to state that it was the palace prison of the South, and during the late war it held more than 40,000 Union officers and enlisted men as prisoners. The project of removing Libby Prison to Chicago was thought of by a well-known Chicago business man who interested a syndicate of his business associates, and as a result they visited Richmond in the latter part of 1888 and took a thorough look over the ground.... Mr. Louis M. Hallowell, a well-known and experienced Philadelphia architect, was engaged to work on the spot. He made all of the working plans for taking the structure apart, shipping it to the cars and rebuilding it in Chicago. The work commenced in December, 1888, and as the building was taken apart each board, beam, timber and block of stone was numbered and lettered in such a manner that there was not the least trouble about placing these parts correctly together again in rebuilding.... Sending to Chicago required 132 twenty-ton cars ... the re-erection of Libby Prison ... was completed early in September. The Museum was opened to the public September 21, 1889.... It contains the most complete and valuable collections of Confederate relics in existence."

The museum was situated on Wabash Avenue between 14th and 16th Streets. The enterprise proved a failure, however. The Libby Prison War Museum was torn down in 1899, according to information received from the Chicago Historical Society. The Coliseum was erected on the site. The prison wall on the Wabash Avenue is now incorporated in the facade of the Coliseum, all other material used having been disposed of.

One would expect to learn that the medal was struck on some occasion connected with the Libby Prison War Museum, either on the completion of its rebuilding in Chicago or on its opening. This was, however, not the case. There is no other indication as to when the medal was executed except the year 1893 appearing on its reverse. It proves that the medal must have been struck in connection with the Columbian Exposition held in that year in Chicago. This is all that could be explored of its history.

Finally a token should be mentioned that refers to Civil War prisons, though indirectly only. It is representative of a whole group of similar tokens. In 1864-1865 a special committee of the United States Sanitary Commission published the gruesome results of an inquiry into the privations and sufferings of United States officers and soldiers during their war imprisonment. It aroused, of course, the public at that time. The United States Sanitary Commission, established in 1861, to cooperate with the army, arranged a series of great fairs, popularly termed "Sanitary Fairs," in order to raise funds for the relief of sickness, the improvement of hospital sanitation, and the promotion of the health conditions among the armed forces in general. The Commission distributed during the war supplies to the value of fifteen million dollars, and funds amounting to five million more were received into its treasury, at least two-thirds of which were obtained from the numerous "Sanitary Fairs." The first was held at Chicago in 1863, and many other cities followed.

Tokens of the kind of that pictured here as No. 8 were given to the "cheerful givers." The obverse of No. 8 shows Washington's head facing the right, at each side four stars, the legend being: GEO. WASHINGTON / PRESIDENT. The reverse has the following inscription in nine lines, the first three and last one curved: GOD LOVETH A CHEERFUL GIVER / GREAT FAIR / IN AID OF THE / U. S. / SANITARY / COMMISSION / NANTUCKET / MASS. / AUGUST 1864. The size is twenty-four millimeters. Specimens were struck in silver, copper, brass, nickel, and tin.

To be sure, the present essay represents but a very modest contribution to the discipline of medallic history. If through the methodological approach of a specific problem it would aid in stimulating further research in this little cultivated field, the author would consider this a highly gratifying reward.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Prisoners of War in General

William E. S. Flory, Prisoners of War: A Study in the Development of International Law. Washington, D. C.: American Council on Public Affairs, 1942.

A good survey of all legal aspects of the subject, with a selected bibliography.

Georges Werner, "Les Prisonniers de Guerre," in Acad?mie de Droit International: Receuil des Cours, 1928, Vol. I, Paris: Librairie Hachette, 1929, pp. 1-107.

Scholarly juridical treatise on all legal problems concerning prisoners of war.

Franz von Liszt, Das V?lkerrecht. Twelfth edition by Max Fleischmann. Berlin: Julius Springer, 1925, pp. 480-488.

The standard German work on International Law, with a selected bibliography.

Andr? Warnod, Prisonnier de Guerre: Notes et Croquis Rapport?s d'Allemagne. Paris: Librairie Charpentier et Fasquelle, 1915.

Backhaus, Die Kriegsgefangenen in Deutschland. Siegen-Leipzig-Berlin: Verlag Hermann Montanus, 1915.

About 250 photographs from German prison camps with explanatory comments.

: Deutsche Kriegsgefangene in Feindesland. Berlin and Leipzig: 1919.

Official accounts of the German government concerning prisoners of war in France and England.

Clemens Plassmann, Die deutschen Kriegsgefangenen in Frankreich, 1914-1920. Berlin: Verlag der Reichsvereinigung ehemaliger Kriegsgefangener, 1921.

A systematical discussion of all legal and social problems concerning the German prisoners of war in France, 1914-1920.

Dora Coith, Kriegsgefangen: Erlebnisse einer Deutschen in Frankreich. Leipzig: Hesse und Becker Verlag, 1915.

Description of experiences in a French war prison of a German civil internee.

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