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50 Pfennig
| Issuer | Gemeinderat Borkum (Municipality of Borkum) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1918 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 65 × 40 mm |
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| Obverse description | White paper Notgeld with a bold horizontal red stripe across the centre, printed in black letterpress. The title 'Gutschein' appears in ornate Gothic script at the top centre, flanked by the denomination numeral '50' in each upper corner. The inscriptions 'Nordseebad' and 'Borkum' are placed left and right of centre, with a circular town seal vignette at mid-field showing a lighthouse and sailing vessel. The date '1. August 1920' is printed below the red band, with the issuing authority lines 'Der Gemeinderat.' and 'Bürgermeister.' at the foot, accompanied by a manuscript facsimile signature. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | White paper reverse with the same broad horizontal red underprint stripe bisecting the field. A circular ecclesiastical seal vignette is centred over the red band, enclosing a lighthouse and bird motif with the legend 'SIGILLUM ECCLESIA BORGUMANA' and the inscriptions 'MED. TRANER. IN. UND' within. Two symmetrical arrow-shaped guilloche ornaments extend left and right of the central seal. The denomination numeral '50' appears in all four corners, with the humorous regional aphorisms 'Auf Borkum ist alles anders,' arching above and 'Wie man's macht, ist's falsch.' below. |
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| Comments |
Borkum's municipal council joined hundreds of German local authorities in printing its own small-denomination Notgeld from 1916 onward, as metal coinage effectively vanished from circulation — hoarded, melted, or diverted to the war effort. The island's geographic isolation on the North Sea made the coin shortage particularly acute; resupply from the mainland was irregular, and the local economy depended heavily on seasonal trade.
The Gra#B78.4c designation indicates this is one of several color or text variants within the B78 type — Grabowski's catalog distinguishes them closely, and conflation between the sub-variants is common in general collections.