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1 000 000 000 Mark
| Issuer | Kreis Worms (District of Worms) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1923 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Cream-toned emergency issue (Notgeld) printed in black and olive, with a detachable left stub bearing a vertical validity restriction inscription. The main panel carries the denomination in bold Fraktur blackletter at centre, beneath which a liability clause names the Kreiskasse Worms as the redemption office and the issue date of 15 October 1923. To the right, the crowned heraldic lion of Worms within a shield is accompanied by the issuer inscription 'GUTSCHEIN DES KREISES WORMS'; the Kreisdirektor's manuscript signature and a green serial number with Series-A designation appear at the foot. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 1 Milliarde Mark GUTSCHEIN Der Kreis Worms haftet für die Einlösung des Gutscheines. Einlösungsstelle ist die Kreiskasse Worms. Worms, den 15. Oktober 1923 Der Kreisdirektor Serie A DES KREISES WORMS Umlaufsfähig im ganzen besetzten / / / hessischen Gebiet / / / |
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| Comments |
Kreis Worms was one of hundreds of German municipal and district authorities that resorted to issuing emergency currency — Notgeld — as the Reichsmark collapsed in 1923. By the time billion-mark denominations appeared in late summer and autumn of that year, the hyperinflation had entered its terminal phase: the Reichsbank simply could not print and distribute notes fast enough to keep pace with depreciation, forcing local governments to fill the gap.
District-level issues like this one were typically printed on short runs by local or regional printers, which means paper quality and ink consistency vary considerably across surviving examples. The billion-mark threshold was crossed in a matter of weeks — notes of this face value were themselves obsolete within days of issue.