Catalog
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| Issuer | Stadtgemeinde Heidelberg |
|---|---|
| Year | 1923 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5 000 000 Mark (5 000 000) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | Log in to see details |
| Designer(s) | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | 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 bears a woodcut-style vignette reproduced after the Codex Manesse miniature held at the Heidelberger Universitätsbibliothek, showing the medieval minnesinger Walther von der Vogelweide seated in contemplation, wearing a crowned helmet and richly decorated robes, with his heraldic shield at upper left and a crested tournament helm at upper right. A diamond lattice border frames the central image, and a caption inscription in Gothic script runs along the bottom edge. |
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| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Dry seal |
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| Comments |
Heidelberg's municipal administration issued this note during the peak of the Weimar hyperinflation, when the Reichsbank's own presses could not keep pace with demand and local authorities across Germany were authorized to produce emergency currency — Notgeld — to meet payroll and basic commerce. By mid-1923, five million marks would barely cover a tram fare.
The dry seal was the Stadtgemeinde's primary authentication measure, a low-technology solution for a note that was never meant to circulate for more than days before its face value became meaningless.