1000 Mark

Düsseldorf's 1922 Notgeld at the 1000 Mark denomination reflects how thoroughly hyperinflation had dismantled the Reichsbank's ability to supply adequate currency. Municipal governments across Germany were issuing their own emergency money not as a novelty but out of necessity — the central authority simply could not keep pace with the collapsing purchasing power of the mark. A. Bagel AG, a well-established Düsseldorf printing house with deep roots in commercial and securities printing, was a natural choice for the city's own emergency issues.

The signature belongs to Ernst Köttgen, who served as Oberbürgermeister of Düsseldorf during this period.