10 Pfennig

Jena's municipal administration issued this note as part of the broader Kleingeldersatz wave that swept German cities and towns in 1919, when post-war coin shortages left everyday transactions nearly impossible. The Reichsbank had neither the metals nor the logistical capacity to fill the gap, so local authorities — Gemeindeverstände across Thuringia included — stepped in with their own fractional paper.

Printed locally, the note was intended for purely short-range circulation within Jena's own commercial sphere. Redemption periods were typically tight, and most Notgeld of this denomination was spent quickly and discarded, which accounts for the relative scarcity of uncirculated survivors at the 10 Pfennig level.