Catalog
Siemens Nixdorf 500 DM Test Note
| Issuer | Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG |
|---|---|
| Year | |
| Type | Local banknote |
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| Obverse description | Utilitarian test note printed entirely in red on white paper, produced for the calibration and testing of banknote processing machinery. A rectangular border frame encloses the large denomination numeral '500 DM' above the inscription 'TESTGELD', with the value '500 DM' repeated diagonally at each corner of the frame. The Siemens Nixdorf corporate logotype is positioned in the upper left field outside the border, while the order reference 'Bestellnr. U60056-J' runs vertically along the right margin. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Plain white reverse carrying no distinct printed design or lettering of its own, with only a faint ghost impression of the obverse elements visible as a light strike-through, consistent with standard test-note production practice. |
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| Comments |
Siemens Nixdorf produced these test notes internally to calibrate and validate banknote processing equipment — sorters, counters, and authentication machines marketed to central banks and commercial institutions. They were never intended to enter circulation and carry no monetary value by design. The paper and print tolerances were engineered to replicate Bundesbank specifications closely enough to stress-test the machinery under realistic conditions.
Survival outside the factory environment is largely accidental. Notes that escaped destruction are genuinely uncommon collector pieces, though their value sits entirely in the industrial history, not in any issuing authority.