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2 Mark Straßenbahn Berlin, Issue 6 - Berliner Straßenlokomotive
| Issuer | Städtische Straßenbahn Berlin (Der Magistrat) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1922 |
| Type | Local banknote |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is dominated by a dense red letterpress underprint repeating the text 'MAGISTRAT BERLIN STÄDTISCHES STRASSENBAHNMAGISTRАТ' across the entire central field, over which bold black Gothic and Art Nouveau script lettering reads 'Bei Benutzung der städtischen Straßenbahn BERLIN'. To the left, the Berlin bear coat of arms is set within a shield vignette beneath the denomination '2 MARK'; to the right, a circular official seal of the Magistrat is placed above the bold stylised inscription 'GUT FÜR ZWEI MARK'. The issue date '1 MÄRZ 1922' and the authority 'DER MAGISTRAT' appear in the lower central area with two manuscript facsimile signatures below. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse carries a finely engraved central vignette of a Berlin steam tram locomotive with two passenger cars circa 1877, set on a cobblestone street and flanked by period townhouses; a woman in Victorian dress stands in the left foreground observing the train. The denomination 'MARK' is printed vertically in ornamental cartouches on both left and right borders, with decorative foliate scroll panels framing the central image. The header inscription 'BERLINER STRASSENLOKOMOTIVE' runs across the top border, and the lower border reads 'UM 1877' flanked by stylised arrow ornaments; the serial number appears vertically along the right margin. |
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| Comments |
Berlin's municipal tram authority issued multiple notgeld series in 1922 as hyperinflation made low-denomination coin almost impossible to keep in circulation. This sixth issue carries the "Berliner Straßenlokomotive" theme — a reference to the horse-drawn street locomotives that preceded electrification on the city's tram network, a history the Magistrat apparently thought worth commemorating even as the currency was collapsing around them.
The 2 Mark face value was already losing purchasing power faster than the notes could be printed and distributed. Most tram notgeld from this period circulated hard and briefly before being discarded or redeemed at a loss.