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5 Pfennig
| Issuer | Gemeinderat Borkum (Municipality of Borkum) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1920 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 5 Pfennigs (5 Pfennige) (0.05) |
| 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 | Gutschein Nordseebad Borkum 5 Pfg. 1. August 1920. Der Gemeinderat. Bürgermeister. |
| Reverse description | White paper with a green cross underprint mirroring the obverse flag motif, the numeral '5' repeated in each corner. A central circular municipal seal bears the Latin legend 'SIGILLUM BORGUMANAE ECCLESIA' around its circumference and the abbreviated inscription 'MED. TRANQ. IN. UND' at centre, enclosing a coastal vignette of sailing vessels against a rocky shoreline, with two horizontal ornamental banner devices flanking the seal. Two lines of humorous Gothic-script mottos occupy the upper and lower fields of the note. |
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| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Comments |
Borkum is the westernmost of the East Frisian Islands, and like dozens of German coastal and rural municipalities in 1920, it issued its own Kleingeldersatz — small change substitutes — to offset the chronic coin shortage that had persisted since the war and worsened sharply during the early inflation period. This note is part of a broader Notgeld phenomenon that briefly turned municipal treasurers into de facto currency designers across thousands of German communities.
The Gemeinderat series from Borkum is catalogued under multiple sub-varieties in Grabowski, with paper color and serial distinctions separating the types. The 4a designation places this within a specific print run differentiated from otherwise near-identical siblings.