Catalog
50 Mark
| Issuer | Internationale Bank in Luxemburg |
|---|---|
| Year | 1900 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 50 Marks |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Dark-green on red-brown underprint with fine intaglio engraving throughout. To the left, a vignette of a miner set against an industrial background alludes to Luxembourg's mining and heavy industry sector, while to the right a farmer vignette represents the agricultural economy. The dual imagery reflects the country's economic character at the turn of the twentieth century. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Multicolour print in olive-green, brown, and orange tones, entirely covered by dense interlocking guilloche scrollwork. A large denomination numeral "50" is set within an elaborate sunburst guilloche medallion at centre, flanked by the word "FÜNFZIG" on either side, with "MARK" appearing above and below. Four ornate geometric rosette vignettes occupy the corners, integrated into the continuous guilloche field. |
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| Comments |
The Internationale Bank in Luxemburg was established in 1856 and operated as one of the Grand Duchy's primary commercial banks during a period when Luxembourg's monetary situation was genuinely complicated — the country used both Belgian francs and German marks interchangeably, reflecting its dual economic pull toward both Brussels and Berlin. A mark-denominated issue from a Luxembourg bank at the turn of the century signals orientation toward the German customs union, the Zollverein, of which Luxembourg remained a member until 1919.
Giesecke & Devrient had been printing high-security banknotes from Leipzig since 1852 and were the dominant continental supplier by 1900. Pick 5 is among the scarcer pieces from this issuer; the bank was absorbed and its note-issuing rights extinguished well before World War One disrupted the region entirely.