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20 000 000 000 Mark
| Issuer | Stadt Gießen (City of Giessen, Hesse) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1923 |
| Type | Local banknote |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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|---|---|
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| Protection type | Embossed seal, Watermark |
| Protection description | Two circular dry seals of the City of Gießen impressed in blind relief into the paper; unidentified watermark present in the paper stock. |
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| Comments |
Giessen's 20-billion Mark note dates from the most acute phase of the Weimar hyperinflation — by October 1923, when municipal authorities across Germany were printing their own emergency currency (Notgeld) simply to meet payroll, the Reichsbank could not supply denominations fast enough. Cities like Giessen had no choice but to commission local printers, which is why Brühl, a regional firm, produced this rather than one of the major security printers.
The embossed seal and watermark are more security than most Notgeld bothered with at this stage, when a note's purchasing power could halve within a single working day.