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50 Pfennig History Series - Issue 4 - 1581
| Issuer | Arnstadt (Thuringia), City of |
|---|---|
| Year | 1921 |
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| Currency | Mark (1914-1924) |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Multicolour letterpress composition in red, blue, and black on cream paper. The central vignette presents a panoramic view of Arnstadt engulfed in flames and billowing smoke, rendered in an expressive woodcut style evoking the great fire of 1581. Flanking the central scene are two red-ground panels, each enclosing a period-costumed figure — a man at left and a woman with child at right — in a dramatic narrative manner. The lower portion carries a cartouche with a blue guilloche underprint inscribed with the date '1581', the title 'Der große Brand', and the explanatory legend; denomination numerals '50' appear in red at the lower corners. The monogram 'APW' is printed beneath the lower border. |
| Reverse lettering | 1581 Der große Brand Durch Nebels Schuld wurde Arnstadt zur Arm-Stadt 50 |
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| Comments |
Arnstadt's History Series notgeld was designed by A. Paul Weber, who would later become one of Germany's most celebrated graphic artists — known especially for his lithographic allegories and sharp political commentary. In 1921 he was still a relatively obscure commercial illustrator, and the Arnstadt commissions gave him early exposure. The series depicts episodes from local Thuringian history; Issue 4 references 1581, a date tied to the town's civic and ecclesiastical chronicles.
The printed date of 30 April 1945 in the catalog data almost certainly reflects a later reference annotation or archival stamping — Arnstadt's notgeld series was issued in 1921 during the hyperinflation-era small change shortage, not in the final hours of the Third Reich.