1 000 000 Mark

Heidelberg's municipal administration issued this million-mark note during the hyperinflation of 1923, when the Reichsbank simply could not print fast enough to meet demand. Cities, counties, railway companies, and private firms across Germany were legally permitted to issue their own emergency currency — Notgeld — to keep local commerce moving. By the time denominations reached seven figures, the notes were often obsolete within days of printing.

The dry stamp was the issuing authority's primary defense against counterfeiting, though at this level of monetary chaos, forgery was barely worth the effort.