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20 Heller Wachau
| Issuer | Marktgemeinde Spitz an der Donau |
|---|---|
| Year | 1920 |
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| Currency | Krone (1918-1921) |
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| Obverse description | Central vignette in woodcut-style illustration of the village of Schwallenbach, with a church steeple rising above terraced vineyards and stone steps, framed by decorative wavy-line borders on either side. To the left, the inscription 'Wachauer / Gutschein der Markt-Gemeinde Spitz.' with the denomination '20 Heller'; to the right, 'Notgeld / Giltig bis 30. September 1920.' with repeated denomination '20 Heller'. The place name 'Schwallenbach.' appears along the lower margin, with printer and designer credits printed in small type at the bottom corners. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Plain typeset reverse with a decorative dotted border frame. The header reads 'WACHAUER NOTGELD.' followed by 'GUTSCHEIN DER GEMEINDE SPITZ AN DER DONAU', with the denomination numeral '20' repeated at upper left and right. A block of text in German sets out the redemption conditions, guaranteeing acceptance in payment and encashment at the municipal treasury against legal tender between 15 and 30 September 1920, with a warning that counterfeiting will be prosecuted. Three signature lines are printed for the Vizebürgermeister, Bürgermeister, and 1. Geschäftsführender Gemeinderat, each bearing a manuscript signature. |
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| Comments |
Spitz an der Donau was one of dozens of Austrian municipalities forced to print its own emergency currency after the First World War left the country's coinage supply in collapse. This 20 Heller note is part of the broader Notgeld phenomenon that swept German-speaking Austria between 1919 and 1921, but the Wachau series earned genuine attention among contemporary collectors for its artistic quality — unusual enough that some issues were printed in quantities exceeding local need, sold directly to collectors rather than spent.
Liesl Kinzel's involvement as designer places this squarely in the tradition of commissioning working artists for Wachau Notgeld, a regional practice that gave the series its lasting appeal. Eduard Sieger's Vienna press handled numerous Austrian municipal issues of this type. Three signatories were required for validity.