1921 - 1922 City of Kaspelburg Germany 1 Mark

1921 - 1922 City of Kaspelburg Germany 1 Mark
CA$6.00

This is a 1 Mark German Notgeld note issued for the fictional or commemorative town of “Kaspel Burg” (or Kastelburg) around 1921–1922, during Germany’s Weimar-era Notgeld boom. Like the 2 Mark issue you shared earlier, this note belongs to a Low German (Plattdeutsch) themed series that celebrated regional folklore, rural life, and historical pride.

🏦 Issuer & Origin

  • Issuer: “Kaspel Burg” (stylized Low German for Kastelburg or Castle Hill)

  • Region: Northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein or Lower Saxony area – likely issued as part of a collector-art series)

  • Date of Issue: Circa 1921–1922

  • Denomination: 1 Mark

  • Language: Plattdeutsch (Low German dialect)

💶 Type of Currency

This is Notgeld (Emergency Money) — local or privately issued currency printed during Germany’s severe economic instability following World War I.

By 1921, many towns and banks began issuing artistic Notgeld that were not meant for circulation but created for collectors. These often featured:

  • Local legends and history

  • Everyday life scenes

  • Regional dialects (like Plattdeutsch)

  • Beautiful artistic printing and colorwork

The “Kaspel Burg” series is a prime example — a fictional or symbolic town used as a setting to celebrate rural honesty and hard work in northern German tradition.

🎨 Design & Artistic Features

  • Front (obverse):

    • Left Panel: A farmer carrying a heavy sack over his shoulder, symbolizing honest labor and rural resilience.

    • Above him, an inscription in Low German reads:

      “In true Arbeit röhrt de hamm, denn smied wi ok de hüfgen Kamm.”
      Which roughly translates to:
      “In true work the hammer rings, for we also forge the sturdy comb.”
      (a poetic expression of industrious pride)

    • Center Panel: A tranquil village scene showing a church and rural houses, with trees lining the road — capturing the pastoral life of northern Germany.

    • Right Panel:

      • Denomination: “1 M” (1 Mark)

      • Below, the town’s heraldic shield — featuring a castle wall, green field, spade, and a red key — repeated throughout the Kaspelburg Notgeld series.

  • Typography & Style:

    • Gothic-style text “Notgeld ut dat Kaspel Burg” (Emergency Money from Kaspelburg) printed in black and red, with strong medieval and folk motifs.

    • The design balances fine line engraving and hand-colored tone blocks, typical of high-quality lithographic Notgeld issues printed by northern German firms such as Flemming-Wiskott or Nielsen studios.