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3 000 000 000 Mark
| Issuer | Magistrat der Reichshauptstadt Berlin |
|---|---|
| Year | 1923 |
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| Currency | Mark (1914-1924) |
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| Obverse description | The face of this Stadtkassenschein (municipal treasury note) is printed in brown and blue-green on cream paper, centered on an elaborate guilloche rosette underprint composed of interlocking oval and lozenge patterns. A crowned lion heraldic vignette appears at the top center of the guilloche. The large denomination legend "Drei Milliarden Mark" is set in bold gothic script across the middle of the note, with the issuing authority "Magistrat der Reichshauptstadt" and place-date "Berlin, den 15. Oktober 1923" at the lower portion, flanked by two manuscript signatures. A green typeset serial number appears in the upper right corner. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Stadtkassenschein Drei Milliarden Mark Wer diesen Schein nachmacht oder verfälscht, oder nachgemachte oder verfälschte Scheine in den Verkehr bringt, wird strafrechtlich verfolgt. Berlin, den 15. Oktober 1923 Magistrat der Reichshauptstadt |
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| Comments |
Berlin's city government issued its own emergency currency — Notgeld — during the hyperinflation peak of 1923, when the Reichsbank simply could not print fast enough to meet demand. Municipal and regional authorities across Germany were legally permitted to issue their own notes to keep local commerce functioning, and the Magistrat of Berlin was among the largest such issuers.
By the time denominations reached the billions of marks, the purchasing power of any given note was effectively obsolete within days of printing. A 3 Milliarden note in late 1923 would not have bought a loaf of bread for long.