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50 Pfennig
| Issuer | Stadtrat Colditz (City Council of Colditz) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1921 |
| Type | Local banknote |
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| Obverse description | Printed in red and black on cream paper, the obverse is centred on a circular vignette of the municipal coat of arms of Colditz, a fortified gateway with crenellated towers, shields, and pennants, encircled by the inscription WAPPEN DER STADT COLDITZ / SACHSEN. Denomination numerals '50' appear in circular cartouches at left and right within an ornamental red frame with stylised floral corner motifs. The issue authority 'Stadt Colditz', the date 'Colditz, den 1. September 1921', the authorising body 'Der Stadtrat', and the Bürgermeister's manuscript signature are inscribed in the lower portion. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Printed in yellow-gold and green on cream paper, the reverse presents a central oval vignette of the Heimatturm (local landmark tower) near Colditz, rendered in a detailed landscape vignette with trees and open sky, surmounted by a flagpole; the letter 'C' appears in a decorative cartouche below the vignette. Denomination numerals '50' are set in scroll cartouches at left and right within a border of intertwining vine stems and trefoil motifs. A patriotic verse in German is distributed across the four corners of the design, and the designer's name 'Joh. Hoppe' is inscribed in the lower right. |
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| Comments |
Colditz issued this Notgeld series in 1921 under the broader Saxon municipal emergency currency programme, at a moment when Reichsbank coin shortages had made small-denomination exchange genuinely unworkable across provincial towns. The city council — not a private firm or savings institution — served as the direct issuing authority, which was common for smaller municipalities that lacked a local bank willing to underwrite the liability.
Joh. Hoppe's design credit is atypical for Colditz issues; most comparable Saxon Notgeld of this period used regional printers who supplied their own anonymous artwork. The local printing attribution suggests a deliberate choice to keep production within the town, though whether this reflected civic pride or simple logistics is unclear.
The castle that would later become infamous as Oflag IV-C was already a psychiatric institution in 1921.