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2 000 000 Mark Merck
| Issuer | E. Merck, Chemische Fabrik, Darmstadt |
|---|---|
| Year | 1923 |
| Type | Local banknote |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | SERIE D GUTSCHEIN DIE KASSE DER FIRMA E. MERCK / CHEMISCHE FABRIK / DARMSTADT ZAHLT GEGEN RÜCKGABE DIESES SCHEINS ZWEI MILLIONEN MARK DARMSTADT / DEN 14. AUGUST 1923 |
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| Protection description | Dry embossed seal at lower right of reverse; diagonal repeating-text underprint 'MERCK' across the obverse surface |
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| Comments |
E. Merck, the Darmstadt pharmaceutical and chemical company founded in 1668, issued this notgeld in 1923 as the Reichsmark's collapse forced even industrial firms to print their own emergency money for payroll. The 2,000,000 Mark denomination places it squarely in the middle phase of hyperinflation — before the truly absurd astronomical figures of late 1923, but already far beyond anything that would have seemed conceivable two years earlier.
The embossed seal is the critical authentication feature here; Merck's corporate stamp gave the note whatever credibility it carried among workers and local merchants who had little choice but to accept it.