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1 000 000 000 Mark Reichsbahndirektion
| Issuer | Deutsche Reichsbahn, Reichsbahndirektion Karlsruhe |
|---|---|
| Year | 1923 |
| Type | Local banknote |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Uniform golden-ochre letterpress print on plain paper, the entire surface covered by a fine lace-pattern guilloche ground of interlocking net and scrollwork. Symmetrical floral vignettes of large stylised blossoms and acanthus scrolls fill the left and right corners, while a central pointed oval cartouche bears the denomination 'Eine Milliarde Mark' in bold Fraktur script. A repeating micro-text border frames the composition on all four sides. |
| Reverse lettering | Eine Milliarde Mark |
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| Comments |
The German railway administrations issued their own emergency currency during the hyperinflation peak of 1923 because the Reichsbank simply could not print fast enough to meet demand. The Reichsbahndirektion Karlsruhe was one of several regional railway directorates authorized to issue notgeld at billion-mark denominations — a figure that, by late 1923, bought roughly one tram fare.
Railway notgeld of this type was printed locally and intended for wage payments to railway workers, not general retail circulation. That narrow distribution channel is precisely why intact examples surface less often than equivalent municipal notgeld from the same period.