1920 - German Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg 50 Pfennig

Obverse (Front)

• Text:
  “Aushilfsschein der Freien und Hansestadt Hamburg”
  (“Emergency Note of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg”)
  “Fünfzig Pfennig” (“Fifty Pfennigs”)
  “Wird von allen hamburg. staatl. Kassen und den Banken in Hamburg in Zahlung genommen. Umlauffähig bis 31. Dez. 1921.”
  (“Accepted by all state treasuries and banks in Hamburg. Valid until December 31, 1921.”)

• Design:
  The center features stunning Art Deco and guilloche-style patterns in green, gold, and violet, designed to deter counterfeiting and reflect Hamburg’s prestige.
  The intricate background radiates outward from the center, giving the note a hypnotic geometric symmetry.

Reverse (Back)

• Central Image:
  Two stylized lions, the heraldic supporters of Hamburg’s coat of arms, holding the city’s crest — a castle with three towers topped by a cross.
  Above them, a decorative fan or sunburst pattern, symbolic of Hamburg’s status as a radiant trading power.

• Color Scheme:
  A refined mix of violet, green, and olive, with complex security line work typical of early 20th-century banknote artistry.

• Text:
  “Fünfzig 50 Pfennig” repeated on the edges, maintaining balance and symmetry.

📜 Historical Context

This note was part of Hamburg’s official municipal emergency money series following World War I, when metal coins were scarce, and inflation had begun to erode the value of currency.

As a major port city and financial hub, Hamburg’s notes were considered trustworthy and widely accepted — essentially serving as local money.
They were printed to a very high artistic and technical standard compared to the Notgeld of smaller towns, making them favorites among collectors today.