Produced primarily in paper as an emergency substitute for coinage during World War I, notgeld also was produced in Europe in the early decades of the 20th century in metal and other compositions.
The word "notgeld" literally translates to "emergency money." Like their paper counterparts, the metal tokens were produced through the turbulent transition to the Weimar Republic and during the period of hyperinflation over the next nine years, ending in Germany in 1923.
Hyperinflation is a period of rapid inflation that leaves a country's currency virtually worthless.
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TWIN TOWERS from Hof with wild men holding trees on both sides. The "wild man" was a popular theme on coins of the Brunswick states from the 1600s through the 1800s.
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Researchers identify World War I, the post-war crisis and the effects of the Versailles peace terms as the main causes of the inflation that began in Germany in 1920.
Unemployment, hunger and price rises took hold. By May 1, 1920, food prices had already escalated by comparison with prices in July 1914, just before the start of the war.
Margarine rose in price from 1.60 marks per kilo to 37.5 marks; butter, from 2.72 marks per kilo to 45 marks; wheat flour from 0.4 mark per kilo to 2.80 marks; and bread from 0.23 mark per kilo to 2.37 marks.
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ST. GEORGE slaying the dragon is found on this zinc notgeld from Hattingen. The coin shows some of the powdery corrosion that afflicts this reactive metal.
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When inflation reached its peak in the autumn of 1923, a 1-million-mark note would not even buy a slice of bread.
While paper notgeld was issued in increasingly higher denominations, metal notgeld denominations were usually, though not always, in denominations under 1 mark.
According to LaJolla, Calif., dealer Ron Guth (www.german coins.com), metal notgeld had actual monetary value.
"Notgeld coins are emergency issues made primarily during and shortly after World War I by various communities and companies to help alleviate the coin shortage caused by the war," according to Merced, Calif., dealer Joel Anderson (www.joelscoins.com).
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ZINC NOTGELD from Darmstadt is typical of the coat-of-arms presentations used by many cities.
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Metal notgeld issues also were prevalent in the countries bordering Germany, including France, Belgium and Austria.
Several explanations were given for change shortages in the early years of war. Expansion into other lands created a need for change, some said; others blamed the players of the three-hand card game, skat, for hoarding change.
A more probable explanation was an increase in the value of silver.
Silver coins quickly disappeared from circulation; fewer coins were struck in the Mints due to worker and product shortages.
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COMPOSER LUDWIG von Beethoven appears on the obverse of an iron 50-pfennig notgeld from Bonn. Bonn also pictured a dog, a peasant and an eagle's head on other notgeld.
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Later, nickel and copper coins disappeared into the cauldrons of war, further tightening the shortage. Some large cities hoarded coins for unknown and unforeseen contingencies.
While the paper notgeld issues made their appearance in 1914, metal tokens did not appear until 1916.
Cities and private firms were the main issuers of metal notgeld, but the pieces also were used in prisoner-of-war camps and firms employing prisoners, according to Courtney L. Coffing, author of World Notgeld 1914-1947 and Other Local Issue Emergency Money.
According to Robert A. Lamb's Catalogue of German War Tokens and Emergency Coins of Germany by Richard Upton and the Emergency Money Society, the metal notgeld often appear struck in zinc or iron, with some aluminum and brass releases. Some of the issues are found plated with copper, brass, or are even enameled.
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OCTAGONAL IRON notgeld from Hall with a "schwurhand" (oath hand) with an iron cross on it. These harken back to the "Hand" hellers of the 1400 to 1600 period.
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As diverse as their compositions, so are the shapes in which the metal notgeld can be found.
These include round and polygonal (multisided), among them pieces that are square or four-sided, hexagonal and octagonal.
Some pieces are holed. Round issues are found with milled or reeded edges, notches or scallops, or with a ribbed edge where the ribs are usually 6 millimeters apart.
These emergency issues, regardless of their composition, offer collectors a wide range of material from which to collect. Issues can be obtained at shows from dealers in tokens and medals, and foreign coins, as well as those who advertise in the pages of Coin World. Some issues may be obtained via Web-based auctions, or through Web searches for dealers that specialize in such material.
Taking a toll
According to Coffing, as war shortages began to take their toll on the populace, metal gas tokens, streetcar tokens and encased and unencased postage stamps were used for money.
Dozens of companies are reported as having struck metal notgeld, with the most prominent, according to Coffing, being L. Christian Lauer, Kugel and Fink, Heinrich Arld, Carl Poellath, Wilhelm Meyer and Franz Wilhelm, B.H. Mayer, and C. Balmberger.
The obverse of the typical municipal issue of the metal notgeld depicts the name of the city or town and carries its coat of arms.
The reverse often reflects the value. Thus, according to Coffing, the manufacturer only needed to make a new obverse die and pair it with a stock reverse die to impart the value.
The orders for manufacturing the metal notgeld were contracted by weight, in kilograms, not a specified mintage, according to Coffing.
Where reference books note mintages, the numbers are often odd, rather than an even number, because in the disparity of weight of individual notgeld, according to Coffing. There are die varieties within each issue, he notes.
A collection of metal notgeld from more than 600 places, representing more than 3,600 coins, is possible for the municipal issues, according to Coffing, with a similar number of private issues feasible.
