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50 Pfennig Zinnowitz
| Issuer | Gemeindeverwaltung Zinnowitz |
|---|---|
| Year | 1921 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Size | 82 × 54 mm |
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| Obverse description | Warm ochre-toned notgeld on a guilloche-patterned ground, framed by an ornate dark border with denomination numerals "50" in each corner medallion. A circular vignette at upper left encloses an engraved seagull in flight over calm water. The central design presents a large oval guilloche rosette bearing the bold numeral "50" flanked by two horizontal bands lettered "PFENNIG" on either side. The place name "ZINNOWITZ / INSEL USEDOM" and the word "GUTSCHEIN ÜBER" appear at the top, with the issue date "den 1. Juni 1921" and two manuscript signatures of the Gemeindevorstand below the central vignette, accompanied by a redemption clause in small Gothic text at the foot. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is dominated by a halftone photographic vignette of the Zinnowitz seaside pier on Usedom island, with several figures in period dress standing at the jetty entrance and the wooden trestle structure receding into the background. The inscription "ZINNOWITZ / INSEL USEDOM" appears in the upper right field. Denomination numerals "50" occupy each of the four corner medallions within the same dark ornamental border that frames the entire note. |
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| Comments |
Zinnowitz is a seaside resort on the Baltic island of Usedom, and this 1921 Notgeld issue reflects the particular circumstances of postwar German municipal finance — local authorities printing their own small-denomination scrip to cover a severe shortage of Reichsbank coinage. The Grubbert and Schmidt signatures indicate two municipal officials, almost certainly the mayor and treasurer or their equivalent, as was customary for Gemeinde-issued Notgeld of this period.
Usedom issues are moderately collected today, largely because the resort towns printed in relatively small quantities compared to major industrial municipalities. The 50 Pfennig denomination sits at the most practical level for day-to-day transactions, meaning circulation wear is the rule rather than the exception.