ABSTRACT
The classic comedy Stalag 17 details life in a prisoner of war (POW) camp from the perspective of a group of US pilots. Within the first 10 minutes of the film two prisoners attempt an escape and are promptly dealt with by the guards on the perimeter of the compound. One character, Sefton, sees an opportunity with their escape, not to attempt an escape himself, but instead to provide a center for the other prisoners in the barracks to profit off the outcome of the attempted escape. Prisoners are allotted rations of various items including foodstuffs, clothing, and cigarettes. All cigarettes are not created equal, however. R. A. Radford explains the concept of Gresham’s Law in terms of cigarettes in his POW camp. Considering Sergeant Sefton’s proclivity to trade cigarettes and smoke cigars, he would appear to have an upper hand, so to speak, in business dealings within the camp.
