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20 Heller Dürnstein an der Donau
| Issuer | Stadtgemeinde Dürnstein an der Donau |
|---|---|
| Year | 1920 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Salmon-toned Notgeld issue printed in brown ink, with an ornate scrollwork border enclosing the entire design. A central vignette presents a landscape view of Dürnstein on the Danube, with the ruined hilltop castle and church tower rising above the town against a mountainous backdrop. The denomination '20' appears in the upper corners flanked by the text 'Heller' on each side, with two verses of German patriotic text in Gothic script at left and right, and the voucher legend, validity clause, and two manuscript signatures with the control initials 'MS' along the lower margin. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Dürnstein a. d. Donau 20 Heller Heil der Heimat und der Minne, bleibt ihr treu im deutschen Sinne! Unverzagt bleibt unser Herz, wenn auch Notgeld gilt für Erz! Gutschein über zwanzig Heller. Die Stadtgemeinde Dürnstein a.d. Donau haftet für diese Verbindlichkeit mit ihrem ganzen beweglichen und unbeweglichen Vermögen. - Giltig bis 31. Oktober 1920. - Die Nachahmung wird gesetzlich bestraft Gemeinderat: Bürgermeister: MS |
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| Comments |
Dürnstein issued this 20 Heller note as part of the Notgeld wave that flooded Austria between 1919 and 1922, when the collapse of the Habsburg monetary system left municipalities scrambling to produce their own small-denomination emergency currency. The town's ruined castle — where Richard I of England was held captive in 1192–93 — made Dürnstein one of the more commercially attractive Notgeld issuers, and the relatively high print run of over twelve million reflects deliberate production for the collector market rather than genuine local need.
Collector-targeted Notgeld from this period was often never spent at all, purchased directly by dealers and philatelic agents and mailed in bulk. The paper frequently survives in mint condition for exactly that reason.