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1/2 Mark
| Issuer | Stadtkasse Lübeck |
|---|---|
| Year | 1921 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 89 × 59 mm |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is executed in a bold two-colour woodcut style in black and red. To the left, a dramatic vignette of the Lübeck skyline with the spires of the Marienkirche rises against a radiant sun. The centre and right are occupied by a medieval Low German verse in large Gothic calligraphic script, with the denomination '50 Pf.' rendered in oversized contrasting numerals at the right margin. The catalogue number 'No I' appears at upper right, and the designer's name 'ASMUS JESSEN' is printed in small capitals at the lower right. |
| Reverse lettering | No I Lübeke aller Steden schone van riken Ehren dragestu de Krone 50 Pf. ASMUS JESSEN |
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| Comments |
Lübeck's municipal treasury issued this half-mark note as part of the wave of German Kleingeldersatz — small-change substitutes — that flooded local economies after World War One stripped metal coinage from circulation. By 1921 the German inflation spiral had already begun in earnest, and municipal bodies across the country were printing their own fractional notes simply to keep commerce moving at the street level.
Asmus Jessen, a Lübeck-based artist associated with the city's strong craft and applied-arts tradition, provided the design — a local commission rather than a generic engraver's stock plate.