Wacker Chemie established its Burghausen chemical plant in 1914, and the sprawling complex that grew along the Salzach eventually became one of the longest industrial sites in the world. Like many large German industrial operations during the World War I era and again under wartime and postwar shortages, Wacker issued notgeld-style factory tokens to manage internal wage payments and canteen transactions when small-denomination Reichsmünzen were hoarded or simply unavailable. Iron was the practical substitute of necessity — copper and nickel had better uses.
Wacker Chemie established its Burghausen chemical plant in 1914, and the sprawling complex that grew along the Salzach eventually became one of the longest industrial sites in the world. Like many large German industrial operations during the World War I era and again under wartime and postwar shortages, Wacker issued notgeld-style factory tokens to manage internal wage payments and canteen transactions when small-denomination Reichsmünzen were hoarded or simply unavailable. Iron was the practical substitute of necessity — copper and nickel had better uses.