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75 000 000 000 Mark
| Issuer | Stadt Köln (City of Cologne) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1923 |
| Type | Local banknote |
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| Obverse description | Unprinted cream paper with a light grey-green guilloche underprint across the central field. The denomination 'Fünfundsiebzig Milliarden Mark' is rendered in large, ornate blackletter (Fraktur) script dominating the upper portion, beneath which the issuing authority 'Gutschein der Stadt Köln' appears in a matching calligraphic hand. To the lower left, a decorative rosette vignette in pink frames an ornamental medallion, while a block of redemption text in roman type occupies the centre-right, dated 'Köln, den 27. Oktober 1923' and bearing the facsimile signature of the Oberbürgermeister; the series designation 'SERIE B' and the printer's imprint 'ZIEGLER BECKMANN, KÖLN.' appear at the foot. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse is unprinted and plain, showing only the blind embossed show-through of the obverse letterpress text and guilloche underprint visible in mirror image through the thin paper stock, with no additional design elements or inscriptions. |
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| Comments |
Cologne issued its own emergency currency during the hyperinflation of 1923, as the Reichsbank simply could not print fast enough to meet demand. This note carries the signature of Konrad Adenauer, then Oberbürgermeister of Cologne — a position he held from 1917 until his forced removal by the Nazis in 1933. His administrative signature appears on municipal Notgeld at denominations that would have seemed absurd even weeks before printing.
Ziegler Beckmann handled production locally, which was the practical necessity — transporting printed currency from distant suppliers introduced delays that rendered denominations obsolete before delivery.