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5 Cents Kagnew Station
| Issuer | Kagnew Station Officers' Mess |
|---|---|
| Year | 1952-1965 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Yellow券 printed in black letterpress on yellow stock, with the issuer's name and postal address in bold block type at left. The denomination numeral '5' is set in a ruled rectangular cartouche at right, with 'CENTS' beneath. A red serial number appears in the lower centre, with a cautionary notice at lower left. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | KAGNEW STATION OFFICERS' MESS A.P.O. 843, ASMARA, ERITREA NOT GOOD IF DETACHED 5 CENTS |
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| Comments |
Kagnew Station was a U.S. Army signals intelligence facility outside Asmara, in what was then federated Eritrea under Ethiopian sovereignty. The Officers' Mess scrip was a purely internal instrument — designed to keep hard currency from leaking into the local economy, a standard concern at overseas postings during this period. The yellow paper distinguishes the 5-cent denomination within the denomination color-coding system used across the scrip series.
The station closed in 1977 as the Derg regime made continued American presence untenable. Mess scrip from Kagnew turns up rarely, and was never intended to survive the installation.