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50 Pfennig Jugendburg Ludwigstein
| Issuer | Vereinigung zur Erhaltung der Burg e.V. (Jugendburg Ludwigstein, Witzenhausen) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1921 |
| Type | Local banknote |
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| Obverse description | Notgeld letterpress-printed in dark grey-black on pale paper, with a decorative geometric guilloche border enclosing the entire face. The upper register carries the title 'Wechselschein der Jugendburg Ludwigstein bei Witzenhausen an der Werra' in Gothic blackletter script within a dark panel with foliate corner ornaments, while the central cartouche displays the denomination '50 PFENNIG' in bold numerals flanked by cautionary text in Gothic script. The lower panel records the date of issue (4. April 1921), the expiry date (4. April 1922), the issuing authority 'Die Vereinigung zur Erhaltung der Burg e.V.', and two manuscript signatures, with six-pointed star ornaments at the lower corners. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is printed in steel-blue and black on pale paper within a plain ruled border. Two symmetrically positioned torch vignettes, each showing a flame rising above a semicircular radiant arc, flank a central ogival cartouche bearing a six-line moral aphorism in Gothic blackletter script. The denomination value '50' appears at lower left and 'Pf.' at lower right in large white numerals, with the inscription 'Jugendburg Ludwigstein' in bold Gothic lettering centred at the foot above a small grotesque mask device. |
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| Comments |
Ludwigstein castle, perched above the Werra river near Witzenhausen, was purchased in 1919 by the German Youth Movement — specifically the Freideutsche Jugend — making it the first castle in Germany acquired and operated by a youth organization. This Notgeld was issued by the preservation society formed to maintain it, meaning the note functioned less as emergency currency and more as a fundraising instrument dressed up as small change. The distinction matters: collectors absorbed most of these at issue, which is why circulated examples are the exception.