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2 000 000 Mark Ostelbisches Braunkohlensyndikat
| Issuer | Ostelbisches Braunkohlensyndikat G.m.b.H., Berlin |
|---|---|
| Year | 1923 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Mark (1914-1924) |
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| Obverse description | Black letterpress on cream-toned paper with a fine guilloche border framing the entire face. The heading reads "Notgeld für den ostelbischen Braunkohlenbergbau" in Gothic blackletter script, followed by a lengthy redemption text in smaller type naming the issuing syndicate and the conditions of payment. The denomination "Zwei Millionen Mark" is set in large bold Gothic type at centre, with the qualification "(Reichspapiergeld)" beneath it, flanked left and right by crossed mining-hammer-and-pick vignettes symbolising the lignite-mining industry. The issuer's name, "Ostelbisches Braunkohlensyndikat G.m.b.H.", appears in heavy Gothic script below, with a serial number prefix and two manuscript signatures at the foot. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse lettering | Notgeld ZWEI MILLIONEN MARK Braunkohlensyndikat Berlin NW 7 |
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| Comments |
The Ostelbisches Braunkohlensyndikat — the East Elbian Brown Coal Syndicate — was one of the large regional lignite cartels that coordinated production and pricing across the mining districts east of the Elbe. During the hyperinflation of 1923, industrial firms, utilities, and trade associations throughout Germany were authorized to issue notgeld to pay their workers when the Reichsbank simply could not supply enough physical currency to keep payrolls running. This 2,000,000 Mark denomination places the note squarely in the mid-1923 phase, before the truly astronomical figures of October and November.
The watermarked paper is worth noting — most emergency industrial issues of this period used whatever stock was available, and the presence of a security feature suggests this syndicate either drew on pre-existing commercial stationery supply or sourced from a Berlin printer with access to watermarked stock.