German Notgeld
Also known as: Notgeld, Emergency Money
DocumentedSupported by at least one credible specialist source.
Period
c. 1914–1923
Issuing entity
Weimar RepublicEmergency money issued in Germany by municipalities, companies and other local bodies during and after the First World War, in the absence of sufficient official small change.
Historical context
Notgeld ranges from plain utilitarian vouchers to elaborately illustrated series produced deliberately for collectors, which affects how issues should be described.
Physical characteristics
- Issuers
- Municipalities, companies, and other local bodies
Technical characteristics
- Materials
- Chiefly paper; other materials including cloth, leather and porcelain are recorded
Design
- Design
- Highly variable; local arms, folklore and civic scenes are common
Identification
- Caution
- Series produced for the collector market rather than for circulation should be identified as such
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Standard reference numbering to be transcribed from a verified edition
- Distinction between circulating and collector series to be documented per issuer