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10 000 000 Mark Reichsbahndirektion
| Issuer | Reichsbahndirektion Köln (Deutsche Reichsbahn) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1923 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 10 000 000 Mark (10 000 000) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 10 000 000 Mark Reihe B Gutschein der Deutschen Reichsbahn über Zehn Millionen Mark Dieser Gutschein wird von allen Eisenbahn- und andern öffentlichen Kassen in Zahlung genommen. Er verliert seine Gültigkeit einen Monat nach Aufkündigung in den Kölner Ortsblättern. Köln, den 2. September 1923. Reichsbahndirektion Köln |
| Reverse description | The reverse is printed in black on plain cream paper with a star-and-rule outer border framing an inner panel filled with a fine engine-turned diaper underprint. The denomination '10 000 000 Mark' is repeated in small letterpress text along all four margins. At centre, the value 'Zehn Millionen * Mark *' is rendered in large Gothic blackletter arranged in a curved arc, with the Reichsbahn winged wheel device positioned between the two lines. |
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| Comments |
The Deutsche Reichsbahn issued its own emergency currency — Notgeld — during the hyperinflation peak of 1923 because the Reichsbank simply could not produce legal tender fast enough to meet payroll. Railway administrations across Germany were among the largest employers in the country, and the Cologne directorate printed these notes to pay its own workers when official denominations became obsolete within days of issue.
Ten million marks sounds extraordinary; by late 1923 it barely covered a tram fare.