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5000 Mark Stadtsparkasse
| Issuer | Stadtsparkasse Bielefeld |
|---|---|
| Year | 1923 |
| Type | Local banknote |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | DEUTSCHLANDS ZUSAMMENBRUCH 1918 KASSPARKASSE BIELEFELD 5000 MARK BIELEFELD, DEN 15. FEBRUAR 1923 STADTRAT DRUCK: GUNDLACH AG, BIELEFELD GESETZLICH GESCHÜTZT D.R.P. |
| Reverse description | The reverse presents the plain woven jute substrate without any printed design, allowing the natural coarse textile weave to serve as the sole visual element. Faint ghost impressions of the obverse printing are visible through the fabric, a characteristic consequence of the letterpress process on this porous material. No inscriptions, vignettes, or security devices are present on this side. |
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| Comments |
Bielefeld's jute notes are among the most discussed pieces of German notgeld — not because of their artistry, but because they actually worked. The Stadtsparkasse issued these cloth notes in 1923 as a practical response to the hyperinflationary paper shortage: jute was locally abundant through the city's linen industry, and the material was far harder to counterfeit than the pulp being churned out by overloaded government presses.
Gundlach printed on raw woven fabric rather than processed textile, which means individual examples vary noticeably in weave texture and ink absorption. The 5000 Mark denomination dates this issue to the accelerating phase of the inflation, before the November 1923 Rentenmark stabilization made the entire series obsolete within weeks of printing.