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2 Mark - Bitterfeld
| Issuer | Stadt Bitterfeld (City of Bitterfeld) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1921 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | 4.8 mm |
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| Obverse description | Central field bears the large numeral '2' above the denomination legend 'MARK' and date '1921', all in raised relief. The circular legend 'STADT BITTERFELD' arcs around the upper portion of the field. The design is rendered in the characteristic unglazed brown porcelain typical of German Notgeld emergency coinage of the early 1920s, with a beaded inner border surrounding the central devices. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse displays the heraldic arms of Bitterfeld at center: a crenellated tower with an arched gateway, flanked on either side by two heraldic shields. The left shield bears a diagonal band, the right shield a wavy pattern. Above the tower, two stylized lightning bolt or arrow devices flank a central star, with additional four-pointed stars to either side. The entire composition is enclosed within a wreath of grain ears at the lower periphery, all in raised relief on the unglazed brown porcelain surface. |
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| Additional information |
Bitterfeld's 1921 porcelain notgeld emerged from the same postwar emergency that pushed hundreds of German municipalities to commission their own substitute currency when metal and stable paper both failed. The city contracted with Meissen or one of the regional ceramic producers — porcelain notgeld was a surprisingly coordinated cottage industry by 1921, with several Thuringian and Saxon manufacturers supplying municipalities across central Germany simultaneously.
Brown-glazed porcelain pieces from this period are notably prone to edge chips, which the Menzel catalog grades strictly. A hairline crack through the body typically drops a piece two full grade levels.