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5 000 000 000 Mark Reichsbahndirektion
| Issuer | Reichsbahndirektion Altona |
|---|---|
| Year | 1923 |
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| In circulation to | 30 November 1923 |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | 5 MILLIARDEN 5 REICHSBAHNDIREKTION ALTONA GUTSCHEIN ÜBER MARK FÜNF MILLIARDEN Dieser Gutschein wird bis zum 30.Nov.1923 von allen Eisenbahnkassen des Reichsbahndirektionsbezirks in Zahlung genommen oder im Überweisungswege vergütet.Altona,23.Oktober 1923 REICHSBAHNDIREKTION ALTONA |
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| Protection description | Wellenbündel (wave bundle) watermark pattern throughout the paper (Keller #133) |
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| Comments |
The Reichsbahndirektion Altona was one of several regional German railway directorates authorized to issue emergency currency — Notgeld — during the hyperinflationary spiral of 1923. By the time denominations reached the billions, the Reichsbank's own printing capacity was overwhelmed, and rail directorates, municipalities, and private firms were all issuing paper to keep wages paid and commerce moving. Altona was then still an independent city under Prussian administration, separate from Hamburg, which gives this issuer a distinct jurisdictional identity.
The five-billion-mark figure dates this note to the autumn acceleration phase, when the mark's purchasing power was collapsing by the hour.