Catalog
20 Heller
| Issuer | Fürstentum Liechtenstein (Principality of Liechtenstein) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1920 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 20 Heller (0.20) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The entire reverse is taken up by a finely engraved vignette of Vaduz Castle set against a mountainous Alpine landscape, enclosed within an ornate Art Nouveau cartouche with scrolled corner ornaments. The castle tower and adjacent structures are rendered in detailed line engraving in dark blue ink against a pale rose-pink underprint that covers the full surface. An artist's signature is visible in the lower left of the vignette. |
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| Signature(s) | Fred. Walser (Landtagspräsident) and Karl Prinz von Liechtenstein (Landesverweser) |
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| Comments |
Liechtenstein's 1920 notgeld issues were a direct consequence of the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian monetary system after the First World War, which left the principality — then still using the krone — scrambling for small-denomination currency that simply wasn't available. These emergency notes were authorized by the Landtag and signed by the Landesverweser, Karl Prince of Liechtenstein, functioning as regent in the absence of the reigning prince. The pairing of those two signatures reflects the constitutional awkwardness of a tiny state improvising fiscal machinery it had never needed before.
Liechtenstein abandoned the krone for the Swiss franc in 1921, rendering the entire notgeld series obsolete within roughly a year of issue.