Burgsteinfurt issued this notgeld piece in 1917, the year German municipal authorities across Westphalia scrambled to fill the vacuum left by hoarded copper and nickel coinage. Iron was the compromise — cheap, abundant, and deeply unpopular with the public, who found it prone to rust and difficult to distinguish by touch. Most pieces saw only short local circulation before being withdrawn and replaced by paper issues as the war dragged on.
Burgsteinfurt issued this notgeld piece in 1917, the year German municipal authorities across Westphalia scrambled to fill the vacuum left by hoarded copper and nickel coinage. Iron was the compromise — cheap, abundant, and deeply unpopular with the public, who found it prone to rust and difficult to distinguish by touch. Most pieces saw only short local circulation before being withdrawn and replaced by paper issues as the war dragged on.