50 Pfennig Gewerbebank

German municipal and commercial notgeld production accelerated sharply in 1917 as metal shortages forced local authorities and private institutions to issue emergency substitutes. Gewerbebank Neuburg an der Donau — a regional commercial bank serving the Neuburg district in Bavaria — was among hundreds of such issuers who turned to cardboard as the most readily available material. Most cardboard notgeld saw heavy handling and rapid deterioration, making intact survivors harder to find than their original circulation numbers would suggest.