1 Mark - Oschersleben

Oschersleben's zinc notgeld mark dates to the acute metal shortage of 1917, when the German war economy had consumed copper and nickel reserves so thoroughly that municipal authorities across the Reich were authorized to issue their own emergency coinage. Zinc was the fallback — abundant enough, but prone to corrosion and surface oxidation, which is why surviving examples in clean condition are less common than mintage figures might suggest.