1920 - 1921 - German City of Apenrade 50 Pfennig

1920 - 1921 - German City of Apenrade 50 Pfennig
CA$7.00

🏛️ Overview

  • Issuer: Stadt Apenrade (City of Apenrade)

  • Region: Schleswig-Holstein (then Germany; today Aabenraa, Denmark)

  • Denomination: 50 Pfennig

  • Type: Städtischer Gutschein – Municipal emergency note

  • Date of Issue: circa 1920 – 1921

  • Printer/Designer: Unconfirmed, though likely printed locally in Schleswig

🎨 Design Description

Front Design (as shown)

  • Dominant Colors: Rich brown and blue on a beige background.

  • Central Emblem: The coat of arms of Apenrade, showing three horizontally arranged fish (usually herring).
    This symbol reflects the town’s centuries-old maritime heritage as a fishing and shipbuilding port on the Flensburg Fjord.

  • Denomination: “50 Pf.” printed twice in blue on either side of the coat of arms.

  • Serial Number: Individually numbered (in your example No. 075065).

  • Text:

    • “Gutschein” – Voucher

    • “Der Magistrat / Das Stadt V. Kol.” – The city magistrate (issuing authority)

    • Signatures of local officials (likely the mayor and treasurer).

    • “Stadt Apenrade” is within the official round seal bearing the same three fish emblem.

The note’s clean, geometric layout and heraldic style were typical of Schleswig and Holstein Notgeld issues around 1920, often emphasizing civic pride and historical symbols.

📜 Reverse Design (not shown)

Many Apenrade notes in this 50 Pf series included a simple printed text reverse:

  • A statement of validity (“gültig bis …”) within the city’s jurisdiction, or

  • Occasionally, an illustration of the harbor or shipyards.

🕰️ Historical Context

After World War I, Northern Schleswig held a plebiscite (1920) that determined whether towns would remain part of Germany or join Denmark.
Apenrade (Aabenraa) voted to join Denmark, officially transferring in June 1920.

This Notgeld therefore sits precisely at that border-transition moment:

  • Issued by the German city administration, before or at the time of sovereignty change.

  • Some notes circulated briefly and were later withdrawn as Danish kroner replaced German marks and pfennigs.

That dual identity—German design and Danish future—makes this issue especially interesting to collectors.