Leper colony money was special money (

scrip A scrip (or ''chit'' in India) is any substitute for legal tender. It is often a form of credit. Scrips have been created and used for a variety of reasons, including exploitive payment of employees under truck systems; or for use in local co ...

or vouchers) which circulated only in leper colonies (

sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often ...

s for people with

leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve damag ...

) due to the fear that money could carry leprosy and infect other people. However, leprosy is not easily transmitted by casual contact or objects; actual transmission only happens through long-term, constant, intimate contact with leprosy sufferers and not through contact with everyday objects used by sufferers. Leprosariums emerged during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

as places to confine people. They were known as

lazaretto A lazaretto or lazaret (from it, lazzaretto a diminutive form of the Italian word for beggar cf. lazzaro) is a quarantine station for maritime travellers. Lazarets can be ships permanently at anchor, isolated islands, or mainland buildings ...

s due to the Order of Saint Lazarus and his patron saint: protector of hospitals and lepers. These confinement centers were erected in particularly remote areas and had facilities to cover quarantine periods for the sick. They were used assiduously until a cure for the disease was developed. At the First International Conference on Leprosy (Berlin, 1897), Dr. Hansen recommended the isolation of the sick as a preventive measure. Other specialists also proposed minting coins for restricted use in such places. These measures were in force until 1981 when the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of ...

determined a treatment to cure the disease. Special leper colony money was used between 1901 and around 1955. The original reason for leper colony money was the prevention of leprosy in healthy persons. In 1938, Dr. Gordon Alexander Ryrie in Malaysia proved that the paper money was not contaminated with leprosy

bacteria Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one Cell (biology), biological cell. They constitute a large domain (biology), domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometr ...

, and all the leper colony banknotes were burned in that country.Unique experiment with currency notes(1970) Isaac Teoh, The Star, January–February, p7.

The first special money

The oldest special money known was made in 1901 for use in three leper colonies of Colombia, called

Agua de Dios Agua de Dios (, literally in en, Water of God) is a municipality and town of Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Cari ...

, Cano de Loro, and Contratación. Five denominations of coins were issued: 2.5 centavos, 5 centavos, 10 centavos, 20 centavos, and 50 centavos. "República de Colombia 1901" was engraved. These coins were issued after the first leprosy congress in Berlin in 1897.

Special money made in the US

Between 1919 and 1952, special coins were used in a Panama Canal Zone leper colony called Palo Seco Colony. One cent, 5 cents, 10 cents, 25 cents, 50 cents, and one dollar coins were made in the United States, with one hole in the coins.

Philippines

From 1913 to 1930, special aluminum (later

copper-nickel Cupronickel or copper-nickel (CuNi) is an alloy of copper that contains nickel and strengthening elements, such as iron and manganese. The copper content typically varies from 60 to 90 percent. (Monel is a nickel-copper alloy that contains a minimu ...

) coins were minted in Manila for use in the

Culion leper colony The Culion Leper Colony is a former leprosarium located on Culion, an island in the Palawan province of the Philippines. It was established by the U.S. government in order to rid leprosy from the Philippine Islands through the only method known at ...

of the Insular Government of the Philippine Islands (then under the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

). In 1942, during the Japanese occupation of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, emergency paper money was also issued inside the

Culion Culion, officially the Municipality of Culion ( tgl, Bayan ng Culion), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 23,213 people. Culion consists primarily of Culion ...

colony. The currency was discontinued after leprosy became a treatable disease in the 1980s, and the island of Culion itself was declared leprosy-free in 2006.

Japan

In 1919, special coins were made in

Tama Zenshoen Sanatorium Tama Zenshōen Sanatorium, or National Sanatorium Tama Zenshōen, is a sanatorium for leprosy or ex-leprosy patients situated in Higashimurayama, Tokyo, Japan starting in 1909. History Background The Japanese Government promulgated the first lepro ...

, and later in other sanatoriums in Japan. It is a characteristic of the special money of Japan that coins and in some cases money in papers or plastic were issued by the sanatoriums and not by the government. However, patients liked banknotes or coins of the Japan Bank. When patients were hospitalized, their money was changed for special money, so that this system was used also for the strengthening of segregation. In some sanatoriums, special money served as allowances for poor patients. By 1955 this system had been discontinued in Japan, in some cases initiated by crimes.Akebonono Shiokaze (1998) Nihon Bunkyo Shuppan, Okayama

Malaysia

In 1936, 5 cents, 10 cents and 1 dollar notes were issued in the Sungei Buloh Settlement in Federated Malay States (today

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

), printed in four languages. The director, Dr. Gordon Alexander Ryrie, sent the special banknotes for examination and it was proved that the notes did not carry leprosy. All special banknotes were burned in a bonfire in that country in 1938.

Other countries

Leper colony money is also known to have existed in Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Korea, Nigeria, Thailand, and Venezuela.

References and sources

;References {{Reflist ;Sources
The numismatic aspects of leprosy. Money, Medals and Miscellanea
(1993) Roger R. McFadden, John Grost, Dennis F. Marr. D.C. McDonald Associates, Inc. USA. Currency Leper colonies