Catalog
2 Mark Darlehenskassenschein - without red underprint, with red seal
| Issuer | Reichsschuldenverwaltung (Imperial Debt Administration) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1914 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Mark (1873-1923) |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is printed in dark green and red on plain paper, repeating the title "Darlehenskassenschein" in Gothic lettering at the top with large denomination numerals "2" at either side flanking a central guilloche panel. A red Imperial eagle vignette with crest shield is positioned at the lower right, and the value "Zwei Mark" appears within the central design. |
| Reverse lettering | Darlehenskassenschein. 2 2 Mark 2 2 Mark Zwei Mark. (Translation: Loan certificate. 2 2 Marks 2 2 Marks Two Marks.) |
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| Comments |
The Darlehenskassenscheine — loan treasury notes — were introduced in August 1914 as an emergency measure to prevent gold from draining out of the Reichsbank at the outbreak of war. Technically obligations of the Darlehenskassen (loan offices) rather than the Reichsbank itself, they were a legal sleight of hand that allowed the government to expand the money supply without formally printing central bank currency.
The "without red underprint, with red seal" distinction matters because Pick 53 exists in multiple variants tied to sequential production runs; the underprint was dropped mid-series, making this a transitional type. At 12,175,000 printed, it is the scarcer configuration within the broader issue.