5 Shillings Onchan Internment Camp

Onchan was one of several internment camps established on the Isle of Man during the Second World War, housing predominantly German and Austrian civilian internees — artists, musicians, academics, and Jewish refugees who had fled Nazi Germany, now paradoxically interned by the British government under Defence Regulation 18B. The camp scrip issued there, including this 5 Shillings piece, was a practical necessity: internees needed a medium of exchange for the camp canteen, but could not legally hold sterling.

The Onchan notes are among the better-documented of the Isle of Man camp issues, partly because several internees were professionals who documented daily life in detail. Forgery attempts within the camps were not unheard of — a genuine concern given the population's technical sophistication.