20 Heller Lembach im Mühlkreis, Brown issue

Lembach im Mühlkreis is a small market town in Upper Austria, and this 20 Heller note is one of the thousands of Austrian Notgeld issues produced between 1920 and 1921 when chronic coin shortages left municipalities scrambling to keep small transactions moving. The brown color variant distinguishes it from the companion issue in the series — the distinction was practical, not decorative, allowing cashiers to sort denominations by sight.

The designer credit to M. Bayer is unusual enough to note; most Gemeinde-level Notgeld went out unsigned by any artist. Bürgermeister Hoberhumer's signature provides the sole municipal guarantee of redemption, which in practice meant very little once the hyperinflationary period rendered the entire Notgeld system obsolete within two years of issue.