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50 000 000 000 Mark
| Issuer | Stadt Wiesbaden (City of Wiesbaden) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1923 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 50 000 000 000 Marks (50 000 000 000) |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| 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 |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Umlauffähig im ganzen Regierungsbezirk Wiesbaden Gültig bis zum 1. April 1924 Gutschein der Stadt Wiesbaden über 50 Milliarden Mark Ausgegeben im Oktober 1923 Der Magistrat: 50 Milliarden (Translation: Valid throughout the administrative district of Wiesbaden Valid until April 1, 1924 City of Wiesbaden voucher for 50 billion Marks Issued in October 1923 The Magistrate: 50 billion) |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Signature(s) | Log in to see details |
| Protection type | Watermark, Embossed seal |
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| Variants | Log in to see details |
| Comments |
During the hyperinflationary collapse of 1923, German municipalities were legally permitted — and in practice compelled — to issue their own emergency currency, known as Notgeld, when the Reichsbank could not supply adequate circulating money. Wiesbaden's fifty-billion-mark note was issued at a moment when that denomination, absurd by any prior standard, represented roughly the cost of a few loaves of bread. The purchasing power evaporated within days of printing.
The embossed municipal seal served as the primary authentication device — a practical choice when local government printers lacked sophisticated intaglio equipment. By the time the Rentenmark stabilization took effect in November 1923, virtually all municipal Notgeld was recalled and destroyed, which makes intact survivors more common in collections than in the historical record of actual use.