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20 000 000 000 Mark
| Issuer | Magistrat der Stadt Bergedorf |
|---|---|
| Year | 1923 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 20 000 000 000 Marks (20 000 000 000) |
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| Obverse description | Salmon-pink Notgeld note executed in letterpress with black and dark red inks over a geometric underprint of interlocking angular motifs. The legend 'Gutschein der Stadt Bergedorf' appears in bold black type at the top, while the denomination '20 Milliarden Mark' is rendered in large dark red characters across the centre. The lower portion carries a serial number, two manuscript signatures above the authority line 'Der Magistrat', the place and date 'Bergedorf, 9. Oktober 1923', a redemption clause in small roman type, and the entire note is enclosed within a decorative chain-link border. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Gutschein der Stadt Bergedorf 20 Milliarden Mark Der Magistrat |
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| Comments |
Bergedorf was a small independent municipality southeast of Hamburg — absorbed into Greater Hamburg only in 1937 — and like hundreds of German local authorities in late 1923, it was forced to issue its own emergency currency as the Reichsbank simply could not print fast enough to keep pace with hyperinflation. By the time denominations in the billions and trillions were being issued, the notes were functionally worthless within days of printing.
Twenty billion marks. In October 1923, that sum would buy a loaf of bread, briefly.