Buchenwald camp money
- Thread starter atomspliter
- Start date
I don't think the 'workers', ie inmates were paid; it looks like this was scrip, or service money that was used by the camp guards in their cafeteria/PX. In most cases where militaries use scrip, it is done to control influence on the economy, the possession or use by people unauthorized to possess it would have been a punishable offense.
There have been a lot of fantasy items created as well using scrip as a motif, especially when it comes to the SS.
There have been a lot of fantasy items created as well using scrip as a motif, especially when it comes to the SS.
atomspliter
Well-known member
Thanks for your opinion,these were brought back by the vet that was there when the camp was liberated.There are many fakes out there of camp money but these are original.Most of this currency was burned before the allies got thereIt was given to special workers,most got nothing.SS guards did not need this currency.You can do an internet search on this and find out more.http://wwwjewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/holocaust/moneyhtml.Or type concentration camp money
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These tokens were part of the "carrot and stick" program in the many forced labour camps under organized by KL Buchenwald, workers that made a certain quota for example were given these tokens with which they could buy extra food in the camp canteen.
Also concentration camps were for a part run like ordinary prisons, those inmates that weren't detained under "Nacht und Nebel' decree could sometimes write letters to their family, they also could receive food parcels and money from their family, with the money they could buy stamps for the letters they could sent or buy a small amount of extra food in the camp shop.
These small things like being in contact with your family and getting a small supplement to your daily ration could mean a lot for a concentration camp inmate, those that were detained for resistance activities usually couldn't benefit from these official privileges and they had to rely on the camps resistance group, usually led by the communists, for that little something extra to make their detention a bit more torrable.
My greatgrandfather, who was detained in a forced labour camp, Reimagh Kahla (an underground factory for Me262 jets), from May 1944, a camp under LW control but with a concentration camp regime.
He was in contact with his wife and son until they were liberated in early Oktober 1944, in that time his family also sent food parcels and even work clothing to him.
These forced labour camps were perverse, those in charge of course didn't care at all about the welfare of those detained, they were enemies of the nazi state and they deserved to die anyway but the more the inmates got from there families, the less the camp organisation had to provide; people that work need a minimum of food and supplies to keep them going.
The system to force the inmates to work was also rather easy, besides beating them, their food ration was based on what they produced and if you didn't get your quota you wouldn't get your full ration; not eating enough means that you get weaker every day and once you were in that downwards spiral it meant you were as good as dead.
Also concentration camps were for a part run like ordinary prisons, those inmates that weren't detained under "Nacht und Nebel' decree could sometimes write letters to their family, they also could receive food parcels and money from their family, with the money they could buy stamps for the letters they could sent or buy a small amount of extra food in the camp shop.
These small things like being in contact with your family and getting a small supplement to your daily ration could mean a lot for a concentration camp inmate, those that were detained for resistance activities usually couldn't benefit from these official privileges and they had to rely on the camps resistance group, usually led by the communists, for that little something extra to make their detention a bit more torrable.
My greatgrandfather, who was detained in a forced labour camp, Reimagh Kahla (an underground factory for Me262 jets), from May 1944, a camp under LW control but with a concentration camp regime.
He was in contact with his wife and son until they were liberated in early Oktober 1944, in that time his family also sent food parcels and even work clothing to him.
These forced labour camps were perverse, those in charge of course didn't care at all about the welfare of those detained, they were enemies of the nazi state and they deserved to die anyway but the more the inmates got from there families, the less the camp organisation had to provide; people that work need a minimum of food and supplies to keep them going.
The system to force the inmates to work was also rather easy, besides beating them, their food ration was based on what they produced and if you didn't get your quota you wouldn't get your full ration; not eating enough means that you get weaker every day and once you were in that downwards spiral it meant you were as good as dead.
atomspliter
Well-known member
Thank you for the great info!
atomspliter
Well-known member
Are these pretty rare to find today?I have not been able to find any for sale on line,most that survived are probably in museums?These probably should be.
Are they rare?
Not really, but I must add that most you see are post war fakes.
Authentic examples aren't that expensive and if you look for them you certainly can find them, the chance of finding originals is higher if you look for them with people that collect old banknotes.
In a museum, these tend to end up in their archive basement.
atomspliter
Well-known member
Thanks for the opinions !I am going to keep these.Peter can you steer me to a site that has these original tokens/money for sale?I cannot find one.A friend would like to buy some examples,I am not selling mine.
Not really, I have no knowledge of a militaria dealer with a website that has them for sale, it isn't something I look for.
The best advize I could give is to be patient, you are pretty sure to come across original bills eventually, they aren't that scarce.
Just be careful for the fakes, the paper they are printed on is the give away, which is something that can't really be judged from an image on a computer screen and like I said before look for these outside of the world of militaria, I'am pretty sure that if you go to a show for currency collectors you'll find them.
gummipuppe
Señor Member biatch
I agree with this.
Donations of artifacts can end up "archived" where no one can see them, then they either get neglected and ruined, stolen by employees/volunteers, or sold off to private collectors during a cash crunch. I have even known people who temporarily loaned artifacts to museums only to discover that they disappeared or got sold off at some point.
In my collection there are several "museum" pieces, objects that were donated by a veteran or his family to a museum but somehow simply ended up in the militaria collecting community.
There are a lot of sad stories, when it comes to museum donations, let this be a warning!
gummipuppe
Señor Member biatch
I once worked as a volunteer staff member at a museum (not military). Since I and my fellow volunteers opened, ran, and closed the place, we all had keys. One year, lots of valuable artifacts disappeared just prior to one of the volunteers moving away to another state. He lived close by and was the chief suspect. The museum's top management never pursued legal action, probably because they have been guilty of adding some of the museum's artifacts to their private collections as well. We had a joke out there when someone couldn't seem to find a missing artifact. We'd say, "Maybe someone took it home for cleaning and polishing."
atomspliter
Well-known member
Thanks guys for the info!I will not be donating these or any other vet finds to museums.Fakes of these bills are worthless to me, at least,seems you really need to know where this stuff came from to be sure.The only way these bills could be over here was from someone that was there.According to one website most of these did not survive,if I find some will up date, I would be very skeptical of any that come up for sale as to their originality.Not hard to get period paper at librarys,the one here has old period books in rough cond.a bag full for 1.00 a lot have some blank pages at the front and back.Wouldnt be hard to makes some convincing fakes.Its a "buyer beware" market but I would never do it as its just wrong and dishonest and I like to be able to sleep at night!
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Micro Jo
Master Sodcaster
You have to be careful with these, as 99% of everything you see is fake. Lots of this stuff, the coins too, are complete fantasy.
They are the easiest thing to make. Atlas does a good job for only a few cents per note. Grub them up a bit, stain with tobacco water, and Bob will be your uncle and auntie at the same time.
They are also the easiest items to expose as fake, going only on the printing method, viewed at 50-90X magnification.
They are the easiest thing to make. Atlas does a good job for only a few cents per note. Grub them up a bit, stain with tobacco water, and Bob will be your uncle and auntie at the same time.
They are also the easiest items to expose as fake, going only on the printing method, viewed at 50-90X magnification.
Here are a couple of reputable links that may be of interest:
http://www.concentrationcampmoney.com
http://motlc.wiesenthal.com/site/pp.asp?c=gvKVLcMVIuG&b=395013
Value of WW2 Reichsmark?
I have seen 1 web page showing the WW2 Reuchsmark was worth 25 US cents. I saw another web page showing it as worth 40 cents.
Does anyone know for sure?
Another money - related subject: In the book "Gun Control in the Third Reich", the Gestapo men were paid $15 - $20 per week.
Inthe years 1930 - 33, the German GNP declined 40%, and the unemployment rate was 50% of able - bodied workers aged 16 - 65.
The Germans were mad as heck, and wouldn't take it anymore.
I have seen 1 web page showing the WW2 Reuchsmark was worth 25 US cents. I saw another web page showing it as worth 40 cents.
Does anyone know for sure?
Another money - related subject: In the book "Gun Control in the Third Reich", the Gestapo men were paid $15 - $20 per week.
Inthe years 1930 - 33, the German GNP declined 40%, and the unemployment rate was 50% of able - bodied workers aged 16 - 65.
The Germans were mad as heck, and wouldn't take it anymore.
