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2.1 Goldmark
| Issuer | Bezirksamt Laufen (District Office of Laufen, Bavaria) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1923 |
| Type | Local banknote |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The upper portion of the note is occupied by a large letterpress vignette of the town of Laufen as seen from across the Salzach river, with the prominent church tower rising above the rooftops and hills in the background; a serial number in red is printed in the upper right corner. At lower left, a hand-coloured vignette of St. Rupertus (St. Rupert) in episcopal vestments is framed by decorative scrollwork, while at lower right the blue-and-white lozengy arms of Bavaria appear alongside a cross-bearing shield. The central text panel, enclosed within an ornate border, carries the denomination, the legal coverage clause, the date of issue, and multiple manuscript signatures of issuing authorities. |
|---|---|
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| Protection description | Dense geometric guilloche pattern printed across the full reverse in ochre, incorporating a central lathe-work medallion with radiating fine-line designs to deter counterfeiting. |
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| Comments |
Bezirksamt Laufen was a rural Bavarian district administrative office — not a bank, not a treasury — yet like hundreds of similar bodies across Germany in 1923, it was forced into emergency currency production as hyperinflation destroyed the Reichsmark's purchasing power faster than the Reichsbank could print replacements. The odd denomination of 2.1 Goldmark almost certainly reflects a local wage or tariff calculation, a common practice among Notgeld issuers trying to match paper to specific transaction values.
Goldmark-denominated Notgeld from this period occupies a narrow window — issued after the Rentenmark stabilization process began in November 1923, such notes were transitional instruments with extremely short intended lifespans.