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500 Mark
| Issuer | Stadt Bielefeld (City of Bielefeld) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1922 |
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| Shape | Rectangular |
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| Obverse description | Woven linen fabric note with an all-over red and grey interlaced guilloche border pattern. A central oval cartouche carries the issuing authority name in ornate calligraphic script, the denomination numeral "500" flanking both sides in bold blackletter, and the payment text "Zahle gegen diesen Scheck aus meinem Guthaben, uns oder Überbringer" in italic letterpress. The date "Bielefeld, 15/9. 1922" and the facsimile signature of Der Magistrat appear at the lower centre, with a dark ornamental serial number panel at right. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | Hewt-Sparkasse Bielefeld IM NEUEN RATHAUSE M 500 500 M Zahle gegen diesen Scheck aus meinem Guthaben, uns oder Überbringer Mark FÜNFHUNDERT Bielefeld 15/9. 1922 DER MAGISTRAT: |
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| Comments |
Bielefeld's fabric notgeld is among the most unusual emergency currency ever produced in Germany. The city issued linen and silk notes during the hyperinflation crisis of 1921–1923, partly as a practical hedge — cloth held its material value better than paper in a collapsing economy — and partly because Bielefeld's textile industry made the raw material locally available. The 500 Mark denomination falls within the series that attracted immediate collector interest, which means many examples were saved rather than spent.
Woven fabric notes present conservation challenges paper does not: they fray at edges, absorb handling oils differently, and cannot be pressed flat without risk of distorting the weave.