Catalog
1 Mark
| Issuer | Gemeindekasse Freienohl |
|---|---|
| Year | |
| Type | Local banknote |
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| Obverse description | Cream-coloured note printed in dark blue ink throughout in a Gothic (Fraktur) script. The heading NOTGELDSCHEIN appears in large display lettering at the top, with the place name Freienohl in bold cursive below, flanked by the phrases der Freiheit and im Sauerland. A central circular sigillum vignette bearing the municipal seal is set within the body text, which states the redemption obligation of the Gemeindekasse Freienohl. The Amtmann and Gemeindevorsteher designations appear at the foot with manuscript signatures and a printed serial number. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | 1 Mark Freienohl im Sauerland |
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| Comments |
Freienohl is a small village in the Sauerland region of Westphalia, and its Gemeindekasse — the municipal treasury — was among hundreds of German local authorities that issued emergency paper money during the acute coin shortage of World War One. These Kommunale Notgeldscheine filled a genuine gap: small-denomination metal coinage had essentially vanished from circulation by 1916 as metal was requisitioned for the war effort.
Municipal issues at this level were printed in short runs, often locally, and redeemed quickly once the immediate shortage eased. Survival rates tend to be low simply because nobody thought to save them at the time.