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Have you heard about this old German money called "Notgeld?"
Hello Friends,
Have you heard about this type of money before? I only recently discovered it and I must admit I really like it. I find the bills to be very artistic and beautiful. Their story is interesting.
During WW1 and shortly after, Germany had a problem with no money in circulation. This is because everyone was hoarding coins. The banks, merchants, and cities complained to the government about this lack of money. The German government was too busy trying to manage the war and they told everyone to just go print their own money. And thus was born the Notgeld (emergency money). At first the designs were simple but very quickly the bills became more elaborate and decorative, sometimes telling stories about the village or city. Collectors took note and the bills quickly became very collectable with a high demand for the more elaborate designs. Many municipalities began printing the bills just for the collecting market even after the need for emergency money had passed. Because so many 100,000's were printed and collected, today they can be found in uncirculated condition for only a couple dollars each. Here's an example of one from my collection, from the city of Beckum (Stadt Beckum).
