1919 - Germany - 50 Pfennig - Issued by the city of Neuss

This is a 50 Pfennig German Notgeld note issued in 1919 by the City of Neuss (Stadt Neuss) in the Rhineland region of Germany — one of the earliest municipal emergency notes printed immediately after World War I. 

🏦 Issuer & Origin

• Issuer: Stadt Neuss (City of Neuss)

• Region: Rhine Province, Prussia (now North Rhine–Westphalia, Germany)

• Date of Issue: 15 September 1919

• Denomination: 50 Pfennig

💶 Type of Note

This is a German Notgeld (emergency money), a local currency issued during the financial chaos that followed World War I.
When Germany’s national mint couldn’t supply enough coins, towns like Neuss printed their own paper substitutes in small denominations (10, 25, 50 Pfennig, etc.) to maintain commerce.

The Neuss issues of 1919 were among the first wave of municipal Notgeld and were intended for actual circulation, not as souvenirs — making them historically significant.

🎨 Design & Details

• Obverse (front):

  • The central vignette features the Neuss Rathaus (City Hall), an impressive Baroque building and the seat of the city’s government.

  • On either side of the image are text panels:

    • Left panel: explains the note’s validity in municipal transactions.

    • Right panel: states that it remains valid “one month after public announcement in the Neusser newspaper”.

  • Below the main image: “Gutschein über 50 Pfennig” — “Voucher for 50 Pfennig.”

  • The issue date and signature of the Oberbürgermeister (Mayor) appear near the bottom:

    “Neuss, den 15. Sept. 1919 – Der Oberbürgermeister.”

  • The text “STADT NEUSS” crowns the top of the note in stylized Gothic lettering.

  • Colors: printed in blue and black ink on pale paper, typical of the early Weimar-era design aesthetic — simple yet formal.

• Reverse (if applicable):

  • Many early Neuss issues had plain or patterned backs, with some later issues including coat-of-arms or repeating “Stadt Neuss” text motifs.