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1 Mark Forum-Scheck
| Issuer | Forum Außenhandelsgesellschaft m.b.H. |
|---|---|
| Year | 1979 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 115 × 51 mm |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 1 forum Außenhandelsgesellschaft m. b. H. Scheck über EINE MARK zum Erwerb von Waren Der Scheck ist vorgesehen für die Verrechnung in Einrichtungen der „Forum”-Außenhandelsgesellschaft m. b. H. 1 BB 439144 1 (Translation: 1 forum Foreign Trade Company Ltd. Cheque for ONE MARK for the purchase of goods. This cheque is intended for settlement in establishments of the "Forum" Foreign Trade Company Ltd. 1 BB 439144 1) |
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| Protection type | Guilloche underprint |
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| Comments |
Forum Außenhandelsgesellschaft m.b.H. was the East German state's hard-currency retail operation — a mechanism for extracting Western money from tourists, diplomats, and East Germans receiving remittances from relatives abroad. These Forum-Schecks functioned as internal convertible currency, accepted at Intershop outlets for Western goods unavailable through normal retail channels. The arrangement was ideologically awkward: a self-described socialist state effectively running a parallel economy where access to consumer goods depended on foreign exchange.
The 1979 series replaced earlier coupons as the GDR tightened control over hard-currency flows. A print run exceeding twelve million for this denomination alone reflects genuine volume demand — these were used, not collected.