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1 000 000 000 Mark
| Issuer | Stadt Biberach an der Riß |
|---|---|
| Year | 1923 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Mark (1914-1924) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 1,000,000,000 Die Stadt Biberach/Riß zahlt dem Einlieferer dieses Scheins Eine Milliarde Mark Einlösungsfrist wird im Amtsblatt bekanntgegeben. Biberach, den 5. Oktober 1923. Stadtschultheiß: Stadtpfleger: Dr. Karl Höhn, Biberach/Riß. |
| Reverse description | Brown-toned reverse with the same braided ornamental border and corner mask vignettes as the obverse. An oval vignette to the left contains an allegorical scene of a devil holding a balance scale, one pan laden with a globe inscribed with a large Papiermark sum and the other with a small gold coin, accompanied by the satirical verse 'Wir haben jetzt ein prächtig Geld / Der Teufel ihm die Waage hält.' To the right, the city arms of Biberach — a lion on a shield — appears above the denomination '1,000,000,000 / Stadt Biberach/Riß / Eine Milliarde Mark' in Gothic blackletter, with the anti-counterfeiting warning at the bottom and the designer's name 'Julius Baur' in the lower right border. |
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| Comments |
Biberach an der Riß was one of hundreds of German municipalities forced to print their own emergency currency in 1923 as hyperinflation outpaced the Reichsbank's ability to supply usable denominations. A billion marks — one Milliarde — was not an extraordinary face value by late 1923 standards; notes of this denomination were often spent within hours of issue before their purchasing power evaporated further.
Julius Baur designed the note locally, and Dr. Karl Höhn printed it in town — an entirely domestic production with no involvement from the major specialist printers like Giesecke & Devrient who handled Reichsbank output. That local printing chain is worth noting: quality control varied, and Höhn's presswork on the Biberach series is considered competent but uneven across the run.