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500 000 Mark
| Issuer | Stadtgemeinde Hof (City Municipality of Hof an der Saale) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1923 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Nur gültig innerhalb der Stadt HOF bis zu dem in den Hofer Tageszeitungen bekannt gemachten Zeitpunkt. Stadtgemeinde Hof. Gutschein über Fünfhunderttausend Mark. Hof, 6. August 1923. Stadtrat. II. Bürgermeister. Finanzreferent. Zur Ausgabe genehmigt durch Entschließung des Reichsfinanzministers vom 4. August 1923. Nachahmungen oder Fälschungen werden strafrechtlich verfolgt. |
| Reverse description | The reverse is printed in grey-green and dominated by an all-over underprint of concentric spiral guilloche rosettes enclosed within a floral outer border. A central rectangular vignette at the top bears the arms of Hof — a tower flanked by two lions rampant with trees — printed in a darker tone. Immediately below, the numeral denomination '500,000 Mark.' is set in large Gothic display type spanning the full width, and two framed text cartouches at the lower left and right carry an ironic verse commentary on the hyperinflationary era, also in Gothic script. |
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| Comments |
Hof an der Saale issued its own emergency currency — Notgeld — during the hyperinflation peak of 1923, when the Reichsbank's output could not keep pace with the daily collapse of purchasing power. By the time denominations reached 500,000 Mark, that sum was barely sufficient for basic transactions; within weeks, the same municipality would be printing notes denominated in the billions.
Municipal Notgeld from this period was printed locally under considerable pressure, and quality control was not a priority. Paper stock, ink, and plate wear vary noticeably across surviving examples from Hof's 1923 issues.