5 000 000 Mark

Herne's 5-million-mark Notgeld note dates from the hyperinflation peak of mid-to-late 1923, when municipal governments across the Ruhr were forced to print their own emergency currency simply to meet weekly payrolls. The Ruhr occupation by French and Belgian troops beginning in January 1923 had strangled the regional economy and accelerated the collapse of the reichsmark to a degree that made even large denominations obsolete within days of issue.

Fr. Wilh. Ruhfus in Dortmund was a workhorse printer for Ruhr municipal Notgeld throughout the crisis, producing notes for numerous neighboring towns under severe time pressure. By the time denominations reached the millions, print runs were prioritized over quality control.