2 Deutsche Mark

The Bank Deutscher Länder was a transitional institution — established in March 1948 as a precursor to the Bundesbank, it issued currency before West Germany existed as a sovereign state. This 2 Mark note was part of the June 1948 currency reform that replaced the Reichsmark at a punishing conversion rate, effectively wiping out wartime monetary overhang and laying the economic foundation for what became the Wirtschaftswunder.

American Bank Note Company printed the entire BDL series in New York, as German printing infrastructure capable of producing secure currency was either destroyed or inaccessible. The Allied occupation authorities retained tight control over the process.