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5 000 000 000 Mark
| Issuer | Stadt Essen (City of Essen) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1923 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Mark (1914-1924) |
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| Obverse description | Notgeld issue printed in dark brown and purple on cream paper, with the large numeral '5' at upper left and the denomination 'Milliarden Mk' in bold Gothic script across the centre, set against an intricate guilloche underprint incorporating a faint watermark-style 'Fünf Milliarden' text. A decorative right-hand panel encloses a second denomination indicator reading '5 MILLIARDEN MARK' within an ornate cartouche. The lower centre bears the place and date of issue, the title 'Der Oberbürgermeister' with an authorising facsimile signature, and a circular German eagle seal, while the denomination '5 000 000 MK' runs vertically along both side margins. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Printed entirely in purple-brown on cream paper, the reverse is dominated by a large central vignette of the Essen civic coat of arms — an eagle over a crossed sword and key motif — set within concentric guilloche oval surrounds. The denomination '5 MILLIARDEN MK' appears in bold capitals along the top and bottom borders, with '5 000 000 000 MK' running vertically along both side margins; the legend 'NOTGELD DER STADT ESSEN' is repeated in mirror-image along the lower border, consistent with the note's orientation design. |
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| Comments |
Essen's municipal government — like dozens of German cities in late 1923 — was forced to issue its own emergency currency as the Reichsmark collapsed under hyperinflation. By October 1923, the official exchange rate had passed one trillion marks to the dollar, and denominations were escalating weekly just to keep pace with basic transactions. Cities printed notgeld not as a novelty but because there was no functional alternative.
Municipal issues from the Ruhr specifically carry an added layer: the French and Belgian occupation of the region beginning January 1923 had severely disrupted normal economic and banking functions, accelerating the local inflationary spiral beyond even the national rate.