Catalog
50 Pfennig Württemberg-Hohenzollern, French occupation
| Issuer | Land Württemberg-Hohenzollern, Finanzministerium |
|---|---|
| Year | 1947 |
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| Value | 50 Reichspfennig (0.50 RM) |
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| Obverse description | Printed in red on white paper, the obverse is divided into two registers: the upper portion contains a central text panel framed by large numeral '50' vignettes on either side, with the full issuing authority inscription in Gothic blackletter script. The lower register carries the denomination word 'Pfennig' in large decorative Gothic lettering against a lightly printed grain or floral underprint, with the serial number and prefix letter printed in blue below. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Printed entirely in red, the reverse presents a central line-engraved vignette of the gatehouse and entrance courtyard of Hohenzollern Castle at Sigmaringen, rendered in fine illustrative style with towers, archway, and surrounding foliage. The four corners each carry a boxed '50 Pfennig' denomination in Gothic script, framing the central castle vignette. The anti-counterfeiting warning legend appears in small type along the lower margin, with the printer's imprint beneath. |
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| Comments |
Württemberg-Hohenzollern was an administrative oddity — a French occupation zone construct that never existed as a political unit before 1945, stitching together the southern portion of the former Free State of Württemberg with the Prussian enclave of Hohenzollern. Its Finanzministerium issuing currency in 1947 reflects the practical chaos of a region operating under Allied-imposed fragmentation, where each occupation zone developed its own provisional financial arrangements before the Deutschmark arrived in 1948.
Knapp & Cie AG in Reutlingen was a natural choice — the firm had deep roots in German commercial printing and was within the French zone itself, satisfying occupation authority requirements that local production be self-contained.