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20 Heller Wachau - Dürnstein
| Issuer | Marktgemeinde Spitz a/d. Donau (Market Town of Spitz on the Danube) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1920 |
| Type | Local banknote |
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| Obverse description | Green and dark brown Notgeld vignette with the denomination numeral '20 HELLER' repeated in each of the four corners within bold dark cartouches, set against radiating green guilloche underprint lines. The central oval vignette presents a finely engraved townscape of Dürnstein an der Donau, with the ruined hilltop castle, the Baroque church tower, and riverside buildings rendered in detailed letterpress. The issuer title 'WACHAUER-NOTGELD' runs along the top border and 'DÜRNSTEIN A/D. DONAU' along the bottom, both within ornate scroll frames. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Plain uncoloured reverse printed in dark ink with a dotted square border frame. The heading 'WACHAUER NOTGELD.' with flanking denomination numerals '20' appears at the top. Below, a block of Gothic-script text sets out the legal redemption obligation of the Marktgemeinde Spitz, valid until 30 September 1920, followed by the counterfeiting warning 'NACHAHMUNG WIRD BESTRAFT.' Three signature lines for the Vizebürgermeister, Bürgermeister, and 1. Geschäftsführender Gemeinderat appear at the foot with manuscript signatures. |
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| Comments |
This is a Notgeld issue — Austrian emergency small-change currency, produced prolifically between 1920 and 1922 when coin shortages made low-denomination transactions impractical. Spitz an der Donau, a small Wachau wine-producing municipality, contracted the Vienna printer Eduard Sieger and engaged Prof. Kämpas as designer, which places this note among the more artistically considered local issues rather than the purely functional ones.
The Wachau series from this region attracted collector interest almost from the moment of issue, and many Notgeld notes were printed in quantities well beyond local need specifically to sell to hobbyists — a practice that muddies any conclusions about genuine circulation for individual pieces.