20 Pfennig - Augsburg Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nürnberg

MAN issued zinc notgeld tokens during the early 1920s to address the chronic shortage of small-denomination coinage that plagued German industrial payrolls during the inflation crisis. Factory tokens of this type were distributed directly to workers as wage supplements, redeemable at company canteens or affiliated retailers — a practice that bound workers financially to their employer in ways that occasionally drew union criticism.

Zinc was the material of necessity, not preference. Wartime metal requisitions had stripped German mints of copper and nickel reserves, and zinc's poor durability meant these pieces wore quickly under daily use.