Roy,
Gary was quite correct in descibing the use of the inflated money.
The small denominations up to 2 Marks were issued during the last years of World
War 1, more or less until 1922, when the inflation started "galoping".
Metals used were iron, zinc, aluminum etc. to replace the previously coins
struck in silver.
In 1923 the Federal Parliament in Berlin, the Reichstag, issued a law, allowing
the Federal States, Provinces and Cities to strike emergency money, which should
keep its value, in order to enable the population to purchase food.
A number of factors however influenced the value of this money, it did not keep
its value at all, thus you find stamps and coins with ever increasing figures.
Essentially it was a necessity to spend the money you earned as a salary at
once: at lunch you might still get a pound of butter, in the evening not even a
box of matches......
The Province of Westphalia issued coins from 1921 onwards with the following
denominations:
Mark Year Metal number issued head on averse:
0,5 1921 alu 258.023 Freiherr vom Stein, politician
and reformer
1 1921 alu 173.191 same
5 1921 alu 120.753 dto
5 1921 tombak 4.035 !!! dto
10 1921 bronze 116.489 dto
100 1922 bronze, guilded 97.435 dto
500 1922 same 57.593 dto
50 1923 alu 92.587 Annette von Droste-Hulshoff,
poetress
100 1923 alu (large) 95.149 dto
100 1923 alu (small) 94.778 dto
500 1923 bronze 65.117 dto
10.000 1923 copper, guilded 315.809 Freiherr vom Stein
(high relief of head, broad egde)
10.000 1923 dto 199.657 dto (low
relief, slim edge)
5 million 1923 tombak, guilded 8.095 !!! dto
5 million 1923 copper guilded 114.936 dto
50 million 1923 tombak guilded 106.060 dto (broad edge)
50 million 1923 copper guilded 37.664 dto (slim
edge)
0,25 million 1923 alu 219.675 dto
2 million 1923 alu 390.089 dto
50 million 1923 alu, small 995.000 dto
50 million 1923 alu, large 78.464 dto
1 billion 1923 new silver 11.113 !!! dto 1 billion (german) is
1.000 billion (US !!)
It is said that these cooins were not meant to circulate, but to be sold for
charity. Certainly the smaller denominations have been used generally. The large
coin of 1 Billion (diameter: 60 mm) has been struck in 1924 only. Usually the
nominal value of the coins was close to nothing already on the day they were
issued.
Usually today's price is between US$ 2 and upto $ 500-600, depending on the
condition of the coin and the number issued.
Sorry for this long listing, but I hope that some of the readers will find it
interesting enough.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Best Regards
Klaus
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