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50 000 000 Mark linen issue
| Issuer | Stadtsparkasse Bielefeld (notgeld) (Prussian province of Westphalia) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1923 |
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| Value | Log in to see details |
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| Printer | E. Gundlach A.G., Bielefeld, Germany |
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|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | DIE DEUTSCHE ZUKUNFT LIEGT IN DER QUALITÄTSARBEIT DIE STADTSPARKASSE BIELEFELD ZAHLE GEGEN RAVENSBERGER HILF MIT SORGENDER HAND STÜTZE DAS ALTER IM HEIMATLAND STADT BIELEFELD AN DEN UNS ODER ÜBERBRINGER ARBEITE UND SPARE! ARBEITEN KÖNNEN WIR BESSER WIE JEDES ANDERE VOLK! FÜNFZIG MILLIONEN MARK 50 MILLIONEN |
| Reverse description | Letterpress-printed linen note in orange, red, and black. A large stylised sun motif at centre bears the denomination '50 MILLIONEN MARK' in bold black numerals, surrounded by a circular inscription. Large decorative gothic-script lettering 'Großd Mark Kommt Linenfrei' radiates around the sun. Corner vignettes show small figural motifs, and dense text fills all borders. |
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| Comments |
Bielefeld's linen notgeld is among the more genuinely peculiar episodes in Weimar-era emergency currency. The Stadtsparkasse issued notes printed directly onto white linen cloth rather than paper — a practical response to the catastrophic paper shortages accompanying hyperinflation, but also a deliberate publicity stunt. Bielefeld was a major center of the German linen and textile industry, so the material carried local meaning beyond mere utility.
E. Gundlach's printing on fabric presented real technical difficulties, and registration inconsistencies are common across the series. The 50,000,000 Mark denomination places this note firmly in the late-summer 1923 acceleration phase, when the Reichsmark was losing value faster than notes could be printed and denominations climbed week by week.