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5 Mark - Gleiwitz Drahtwerke
| Issuer | Drahtwerke Gleiwitz (Gleiwitz Wire Works) |
|---|---|
| Year | |
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| Currency | Mark (1914-1924) |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is enclosed by an outer plain rim and an inner raised pearl border, forming an annular legend band. The circular legend DRAHTWERKE GLEIWITZ arcs across the upper portion of the border, with WERTMARKE completing the inscription along the lower arc, punctuated by star stops. The central field displays the large numeral denomination 5.00 in bold relief, with two horizontal lines beneath the figures serving as a decorative separator. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The reverse shares an identical design to the obverse, bounded by an outer plain rim and an inner raised pearl border enclosing an annular legend band. The legend DRAHTWERKE GLEIWITZ runs along the upper arc and WERTMARKE along the lower arc, each separated by star stops. The central field bears the large numeral denomination 5.00 in bold relief, with two horizontal lines positioned beneath the figures as a decorative device, consistent with the industrial token's utilitarian character. |
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| Additional information |
Gleiwitz — now Gliwice, Poland — was a major industrial center in Upper Silesia, and the Drahtwerke (wire works) there issued this zinc notgeld during the acute coin shortages of World War I, when the imperial government had stripped copper and nickel from circulation for war production. Factory-issued Werksgeld of this type was accepted only within the issuing plant and its immediate commercial orbit, functioning as a wage token redeemable at the company store rather than general currency.
Zinc was the default material precisely because it had limited strategic value to the military procurement apparatus.