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5 Pfennig
| Issuer | City of Merseburg (Der Magistrat) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1919-1920 |
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| Printer | Gebrüder Parcus, Munich, Germany |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Gültig bis 31. März 1920 Gutschein über 5 Fünf Pfennig Nur im Verkehr mit der städtischen Verwaltung Merseburg Merseburg, 1. Juni 1919. Der Magistrat |
| Reverse description | A uniform green guilloche underprint covers the entire reverse, with a central heraldic vignette of the Merseburg city arms — a shield bearing a twin-towered cathedral facade — enclosed within an ornate cartouche of scrollwork and foliate ornament. The printer's imprint 'GEBR. PARCUS MÜNCHEN' is rendered in a small panel at the base of the cartouche. |
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| Comments |
Merseburg's Magistrat turned to Gebrüder Parcus in Munich during the acute small-change shortage that gripped Germany immediately after the First World War. Parcus was among the most prolific printers of Kleingeldscheine and Notgeld during this period, handling commissions from dozens of municipalities simultaneously — which explains why notes from distant cities share suspiciously similar typefaces and border treatments.
The 1919–1920 window matters: early issues were genuine emergency substitutes for hoarded coinage, while later printings edged toward the collector-targeted Notgeld that flooded the market by mid-1921. At 5 Pfennig, this sits firmly in the utilitarian camp — too low a denomination to attract speculators, and almost certainly spent rather than saved.