1921 - German City of Roda bei Ilmenau 25 Pfennig

CA$7.00

This is a 25 Pfennig German Notgeld note issued by the town of Rotschild (Rottschil or Rothschild) in Thuringia (Thüringen) around 1921.
It’s a fine example of literary or humorous Notgeld, a subgenre that depicted scenes from local folklore, poems, or humorous anecdotes rather than civic landmarks.

🏦 Issuer & Origin

Issuer: Town of Rotschild (Thüringen, Germany)
Printer: Wiedemannsche Druckerei A.-G., Saalfeld (Thür.)
Region: Saalfeld District, Thuringia
Date of Issue: Circa 1921–1922
Denomination: 25 Pfennig

💶 Type of Note

This is a Notgeld (emergency money) issue — part of the vibrant wave of small-town and private notes printed in Germany between 1919 and 1923, when hyperinflation and coin shortages led localities to produce their own paper substitutes.

By 1921, Notgeld had become more artistic and collectible, with many towns producing series of notes illustrating local tales, occupations, or humorous verses.
The Rotschild issue falls squarely into that "folk-art" and “narrative Notgeld” category.

🎨 Design & Imagery

Obverse (front):
- Denomination “25 Pf” in both upper corners.
- Central Image: Depicts a lively 19th-century inn scene — a mail coach (Postkutsche) arrives outside a tavern labeled “Zum Ross” (The Horse Inn).
  The coachman blows his horn while passengers disembark, greeted by the innkeeper and his family.
  This is a typical Biedermeier-era social vignette, evoking nostalgia for the pre-industrial world.
- Banner Text: “Nagelschmied Rotschild.” – literally “Nail-smith Rotschild.”
  It references a humorous folk tale involving a blacksmith who crafted nails (Nagelschmied), sometimes featured as a local character in Thuringian and Saxon folklore.
- Poetic Verse Below:
  
  Rotschild fuhr einst als Frei-Passagier
  Nach Arnstadt per Post zur Wirtshaus-Tür.
  Der Postillion bläst in das Horn Trara!
  Heraus Herr Wirt, der Rotschild ist da.
  Der freut sich und schmunzelt, da steigt o Graus!
  Der Nagelschmied barfuß zur Postkutsche raus.
  
  Translation:
  “Once Rotschild rode as a free passenger
  To Arnstadt by post to the tavern door.
  The postman blows the horn — trara!
  Out comes the host, ‘Rotschild is here!’
  He smiles with delight — then, oh horror!
  Out steps the nail-smith barefoot from the coach!”
  
  This lighthearted rhyme celebrates the humor and humility of everyday folk, a common Notgeld theme.
- Top Center Crest: A hammer and oak leaves — symbols of craftsmanship and German industriousness.
Color Palette:
- Earthy tones of brown, teal, orange, and green, printed in fine lithography with ornamental framing — typical of Saalfeld’s high-quality regional printing houses.
Printer Credit (Bottom):
- “Wiedemannsche Druckerei A.-G. Saalfeld (Thür.)” — one of Thuringia’s most active Notgeld printing firms, known for its artistic small-run issues.