Bamberg's zinc notgeld issues of 1917 emerged from the same wartime metal shortage that stripped German municipal authorities of their copper and nickel supplies — both metals diverted to shell casings and military hardware. Cities across Bavaria were authorized to issue their own emergency coinage, and Bamberg was among the first to act. Zinc was the only remotely viable substitute, despite its tendency to corrode and its poor striking qualities under standard die pressure.
The Funck 29.1 attribution places this among the earliest documented Bamberg notgeld types.
Bamberg's zinc notgeld issues of 1917 emerged from the same wartime metal shortage that stripped German municipal authorities of their copper and nickel supplies — both metals diverted to shell casings and military hardware. Cities across Bavaria were authorized to issue their own emergency coinage, and Bamberg was among the first to act. Zinc was the only remotely viable substitute, despite its tendency to corrode and its poor striking qualities under standard die pressure.
The Funck 29.1 attribution places this among the earliest documented Bamberg notgeld types.