Feldpostkarte and Imperial banknotes

[Stinkpotpete]

I found these today at the antique store. The postcard doesn't look so grainy in hand, but my scanner makes it look worse.




This is a POW canteen note issued by the 18th Army Corps, the back side was blank



This is a Darlehnskassen bill , the translation on the wikipedia page was a little confusing, but it seems there was a Darlehnskassen Act of 4 August 1914 that continued a process that began during the Prussian Empire in the 1850s. These were "secondary" form of currency, they weren't considered "real" bills, but still had a cash value based on lending against industrial and agricultural goods, but payable in gold marks. Like I said, it was confusing. My dad collected coins and tha trubbed off on me a little, I like bank notes, the art on some is quite good, anything to foil the counterfeiters.

[drmessimer]

Paul: Your postcard is an interesting moment in history since it shows German occupation troops in Serbia apparently bargaining with a Serbian Beef butcher. All I know about the Central Powers occupation of Serbia is that it ran from 1916 into 1918. Hopefully a member who knows more about the subject will take this opportunity to post some details. I wonder what nationality the two soldiers on the left are. That's a great looking postcard. Dwight

[Stinkpotpete]

Thanks Dwight. I've never seen too much about anyone occupying Serbia during ww1, I had always assumed it would have been the Austrians. That this had Germans was one of the reasons I bought it, and you don't see many of these in my area. I didn't think the 2 on the left were soldiers, the one leaning against the corner with the open coat looked like a Montenegran to me, so I assumed a couple of locals watching the barter between the butcher and the Germans. I'll have to look a little further and see if they match anyones uniforms.

[drmessimer]

Paul: Apparently, the Central Powers, Germany and Austria, occupied Serbia for about two years. That's the best information I have. The problem is that the WWI Eastern Front isn't well covered by US and British historians, so we don't have a reservoir of ready information to draw on. I'm hoping that among our members, one who is knowledgable on the subject will post something. Dwight