LAGERGELD / POW Currency: tokens or coins?

3 posts
Hello to all,
can anyone explain me please if Lagergeld / Pow currency must be considered as tokens or maybe coins?
In our Catalogue we have some german lagergelds that are in "German Notgelds", austrian in "Tokens - Austria - K&K POW camps", french in "Tokens - France - Prison Tokens" and polish in "Poland - Reichsmark (Ghetto Coinage 1939-1944)". Why are austrian and french lagergelds considered as tokens and haven't their place under France and Austria Coinages?

Nicola
Good question.
But not an easy one. There is often a very thin line between tokens and coins. Some coins act like tokens (NCLT's) while some tokens act like real coins and are used in circulation as coins. That's why, in my opinion, German notgeld, French notgeld, lagergeld, POW currency etc. belong in the coin section.
And you are right. Consistency is very important. There shouldn't be a difference in treating comparable coins/tokens only based on the country where they come from. But of course, some are more comparable than others. It's difficult to draw an exact line.
Thank you very much for this answer, Essor Prof!
It's really interesting how these tokens have flanked and in some cases even replaced the coins in hard times like wars, and were used in cities and concentration or prison camps.
I completely agree with you about the consistency and I think the same way that this difference in treating them based on the country of origin shouldn't exist.

Nicola

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