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5 000 000 000 Mark
| Issuer | Stadt Mainz (City of Mainz) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1923 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5 000 000 000 Mark (5 000 000 000) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse is uniface and unprinted, consisting of plain cream-coloured paper with no design elements. A faint embossed or dry-stamp impression of the Mainz city arms is discernible in the upper right corner, and a partial red official stamp impression appears at the lower right. |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
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| Protection type | Log in to see details |
| Protection description | Embossed dry-stamp impression of the Mainz city arms applied to the reverse. |
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| Comments |
Five billion marks, issued by the municipal government of Mainz during the hyperinflationary peak of autumn 1923. German cities, counties, and private firms were legally permitted to issue emergency currency — Notgeld — as the Reichsbank could not print fast enough to meet demand. Mainz was among hundreds of municipalities that exercised this authority, producing notes denominated in figures that would have been incomprehensible two years earlier.
The dry stamp is the sole security measure, applied mechanically after printing. At these denominations, counterfeiting was barely worth the effort — the notes lost purchasing power faster than forgers could work.