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50 Cents Thika Camp
| Issuer | P.O.W. Camp No. 5, Thika (D.A.P.S.S.) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1941 |
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| In circulation to | Yes |
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| Obverse description | Blue underprint with black letterpress. Central rectangular frame with decorative border encloses a large numeral '50' in blue underprint, overprinted in black with 'P.O.W. CAMP / No. 5 / THIKA / CENTS'. The text 'D.A.P.S.S. — 1941' appears vertically on both lateral margins. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 50 CENTS P.O.W. CAMP No. 5 THIKA D.A.P.S.S. -1941 |
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| Comments |
D.A.P.S.S. — the Deputy Assistant Principal Supply and Secretariat — administered prisoner of war camps in British East Africa during the Second World War, and Camp No. 5 at Thika, Kenya held primarily Italian prisoners captured during the East African campaign of 1940–41. These scrip notes functioned as internal canteen currency, preventing POWs from accumulating sterling that could facilitate escape attempts or black market dealings with locals — a standard concern under Geneva Convention camp administration.
Locally printed scrip of this type is among the most perishable of all emergency issues. Thika camp material surfaces rarely, and the 50 Cents denomination less frequently than the lower values.