Notgeld

[tabbs]

Christian, I figured since they have listings of notgeld up to at least 1947, that would include WWII.

Well, 1947 sure sounds like post-WW2, yes. I just did not know about any German notgeld from those years. Where was that issued or used?

 

Christian

[banivechi]

I use the catalog Walter Funck "Die Notmunzen der deutschen Stadte, Gemeinden, Kreise, Lander etc." , H. Gietl Verlag & Publikationsservice GmBH, Regenstauf, 2000

[Drusus]

I dont have any from later dates but just as one example Scheinfeld / Bayern and Altusried / Bayern has some list for 1946 / 47

 

 

Gera / Thuringen has some listed for 1947 (25 pfennig)

 

there seems to be a lot of later dates for Bayern

 

Kiel / Schleswig-Holstein seems to have 5-30 pf for 1947

 

I dont have any past mid 30's though.

[Johnny 1989]

Its iron...photo color is off...had a bit of difficulty getting the detail I wanted so I brightened it a bit. I need to reshoot it befor eI post it on my site...the color look more like this:

 

 

Here we go here's my rusty version

 

[AnemicOak]

Mine is the version without SD under the chin...

 

[Johnny 1989]

Mine is the version without SD under the chin...

 

 

Interesting there's a variant, wonder what SD stands for?

[tabbs]

I dont have any from later dates but just as one example Scheinfeld / Bayern and Altusried / Bayern has some list for 1946 / 47

Gera / Thuringen has some listed for 1947 (25 pfennig)

 

there seems to be a lot of later dates for Bayern

 

Kiel / Schleswig-Holstein seems to have 5-30 pf for 1947

 

I dont have any past mid 30's though.

Interesting, did not know that. What we learned at school was that the economic situations in/after WW 1 and 2 were pretty different: There was no cash shortage in 1945 and shortly afterwards, and no hyperinflation either, but of course the money that people had would not really buy much. And yet it seems that some places had notgeld even then ...

 

Christian

[tabbs]

Interesting there's a variant, wonder what SD stands for?

Could be the initials of the designer. But I think it actually says STD which may simply mean "Stadt Düren".

 

Christian (just guessing )

[Drusus]

it stands for Stadt Duren I asked the same question when I found out there were 2 types...the one with SD had a smaller mintage I was told.

 

Christian, from what I have read there was serious hyperinflation in places like Hungary and greece after WWII. In germany there was rampant inflation up until 1947 when it was concluded that there must be economic and monetary reform. Until 1947 germans were using occupation currency and, it seems, local emergency currency. Below is a blurb about post WWII Germany regarding its economy:

 

As agreed at Potsdam, an attempt was made to convert Germany into a pastoral and agricultural nation, which would only be allowed light industry. Huge amounts of factories were dismantled as reparations or simply destroyed.

 

Beginning immediately after the German surrender and continuing for the next two years the U.S. pursued a vigorous program to harvest all technological and scientific know-how as well as all patents in Germany. John Gimbel comes to the conclusion, in his book Science Technology and Reparations: Exploitation and Plunder in Postwar Germany, that the "intellectual reparations" taken by the U.S. and the UK amounted to close to $10 billion dollars--equivalent to around $100 billion dollars in 2006

 

With the repudiation of the U.S. occupation directive JCS 1067 in July 1947 the Western Allies were able to start planning for the introduction of a currency reform to halt the rampant inflation. This type of act to help the German economy had been prohibited by the directive and its execution also lead to the eventual division of Germany.

 

In 1948, the Deutsche Mark replaced the occupation currency as the currency of the Western occupation zones, leading to their eventual economic recovery.

 

In 1947 the Marshall plan, initially known as the "European Recovery Program" was initiated. In the year 1947-1952 some $13 billion of economic and technical assistance were allocated to Western Europe. Despite protests from many beneficiaries the Marshall plan, although in the less generous form of loans, was in 1949 extended to also include the newly formed West Germany. In the years 1949-1952 West Germany received loans which totaled $1.45 billion dollars.

 

The country subsequently began exporting local products, reduced unemployment, increased food production, reduced the black market, and slowly, but continuously, improved the country's standard of living.

 

By 1950 the UK and France were finally forced to stop the dismantling of German heavy industry.

 

So it might make sense that along with occupational money, local emergency money would have still been needed to fill gaps. Hyperinflation hit a lot of countries in Europe post WWII. Hungary is a notable extreme example.

[Drusus]

BTW...here are some cool pics of German hyperinflation

 

woman using german currency to fuel a fire

 

Selling money by weight at the height of hyper-inflation. Paper money is worth more by weight than old bones... but less than rags.

 

 

 

lighting the stove with worthless money...that money would have worth today but I guess at the time, it was worth more as fuel.

 

 

1 trillion marks to the dollar

[tabbs]

Until 1947 germans were using occupation currency and, it seems, local emergency currency.

Did not know that. When you hear or read about Notgeld here (in the narrower sense, referring to Germany in the previous century), it is always about the late WW1 and post-WW1 period. Maybe it is a matter of sheer quantities, I don't know.

 

As for the post-WW2 inflation, what we had in the early 1920s was an "open" hyperinflation, whereas the situation after 1945 was what we call "gestaute Inflation". Not sure what the best translation would be; it means that the prices had been controlled by the nazi government, and the post-war occupational administration did the same thing first. Also, for several years before and after '45 many goods were rationed. So the "official" prices were kind of low, except that the Geldmenge (money supply?) had increased, and many who had anything to sell would not give it away for RM cash but on an exchange basis - almost like before the invention of money. That changed with or shortly after the currency reform in the Western occupation zones ...

 

Christian

[Vfox]

Wish I could get my hands on all that currency for that price nowadays! Some great pics Drusus, I have been trying to hoard german currency and haven't been able to aquire nearly the amount I am looking for. At least at the prices I can pay. I think the best I got was a stack of 20,000 marks at $0.25 each, which I was more than happy to pay, the most was 9 UNC 1910 100 marks with an envelope and letter they came with in 1922, I think it was something like $7-9 each, I don't remember exactly. I love that stuff though, I think I have somewhere in the range of 400 notes, with about 50 different denominations and styles. Including about 10 Notgeld.

[Two Kopeiki]

Very cool pictures and information, Drusus!