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25 Pfennig
| Issuer | Gemeinde Stecklenberg (Municipality of Stecklenberg) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1921 |
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| Currency | Mark (1914-1924) |
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| Obverse description | Single-colour dark red letterpress Notgeld note printed on cream paper. A central vignette shows a full-length armoured knight in late-medieval plate armour standing before a heraldic shield charged with a rampant lion, framed by oak-branch ornaments; the denomination numeral '25' appears in large script flanking the vignette on both sides with 'Pfennig' below each. The banner inscription 'NOTGELD für STECKLENBERG im OSTHARZ' runs along the top in bold decorative lettering, while the issue date 'den 1 Juli 1921', place name 'STECKLENBERG', validity clause 'Gültig bis Aufruf', and the manuscript signature of the Gemeindevorstand Weißenborn appear in the lower register. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Multicolour lithographic reverse centred on a colour vignette of the ruined medieval tower known as Die Lanenburg, rendered in natural tones of green, blue, and purple against an open sky. Flanking the central image are two symmetrical vertical panels with an oak-leaf diaper underprint in dark green on a rose ground, each carrying a spiralling ribbon banner inscribed with a poetic verse in Gothic script; the denomination numeral '25' appears in the upper corners of each panel. The caption 'Die Lanenburg' is printed in Gothic lettering beneath the central vignette. |
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| Comments |
Stecklenberg is a small village in the Harz district of Saxony-Anhalt, and its decision to issue notgeld in 1921 reflects just how far municipal emergency currency had penetrated into rural Germany by the time the postwar coin shortage reached its worst point. Thousands of German municipalities issued their own small-denomination notes during this period, many commissioning decorative designs to attract collectors — a deliberate revenue strategy that generated income beyond the note's face value.
The single Weißenborn signature is almost certainly that of the Bürgermeister or a designated municipal treasurer. No banking infrastructure needed; local administrative authority was sufficient.