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50 Pfennig
| Issuer | Thale am Harz, City of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1921 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 50 Pfennigs (50 Pfennige) (0.50) |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Blue-toned notgeld issued by the Gemeindevorstand of Thale am Harz, with the denomination numeral '50' and the word 'Pfennig' repeated at left and right against a vertically lined underprint. A central vignette enclosed within an arched frame presents a female allegorical figure — likely a witch or mythological spirit associated with Walpurgis lore — seated atop the Thale town coat of arms, with curved motto text flanking her on either side. The heading 'Gutschein von Thale-Harz' appears in Gothic blackletter script across the top, while the lower panel records the validity date 'Gültig bis 31. Dezember 1922', the issuing authority 'Gemeindevorstand', the date 'Walpurgis 1921', and the facsimile signature of Bürgermeister Schönermark. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Blue-toned vignette in an expressionist woodcut style illustrating the Walpurgishalle building at the Teufelsmauer near Thale, rendered centrally with elaborate decorative gable ornament and flanked by two large fantastical demon or witch figures clinging to tall poles. Diagonal rays of light cross the sky above the structure, while a lower-left inset panel contains a runic or symbolic motif. The inscription 'Teufelsmauer — Walpurgishalle' appears in Gothic script at the top, and 'mit Opferstein vom Heidenwalle' runs along the lower margin. |
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| Comments |
Thale sits at the mouth of the Bode gorge in the Harz, and its notgeld issues from 1921 lean heavily into local mythology — the Rosstrappe rock formation and the Walpurgis Night legends tied to the surrounding mountains made for popular subject matter at a time when municipalities competed for collector interest as much as they addressed genuine small-change shortages. Appelhans in Braunschweig was a workhorse regional printer for this wave of Serienscheine, producing runs for numerous Lower Saxon and Harz-area towns during the same period.
Bürgermeister Schönermark's signature anchors the civic authority behind the issue, though by 1921 such notes were as likely to end up in collector albums as in a shopkeeper's till.