The Engener Notgeld was a money substitute that arose from a shortage, which replaced missing legal tender at the beginning of the 20th century and was issued by a local authority and a private company.
At the end of August 1923, the Engen City Council dealt with the issue of emergency money for the first time due to a noticeable lack of change in the city . An emergency money issue was refused in September.
On October 29, 1923, the city council asked again for approval to issue emergency money in the values of 5, 10 and 50 billion marks. After the Baden Ministry of the Interior issued this on November 2nd, the city of Engen commissioned the local printing companies to produce the emergency money: Ms. Eckerlein was to receive 500 items at 20 billion and 400 at 50 billion, the Hegauer Buchdruckerei A.-G. should produce 700 pieces at 100 billion. It quickly became clear, however, that the expenditure would not be enough, so that it was increased to a total of 300 pieces to 20 billion, 1200 pieces to 50 billion and 1,400 pieces to 100 billion marks.
The production costs of the 2900 banknotes amounted to a total of 124 gold marks, 38.50 gold marks were invoiced by Eckerlein and 85.50 gold marks by the Hegauer Buchdruckerei.
Towards the end of the inflation period it became clear that the emergency money issued by the city of Engen would not be enough. So the Hegauer Steinwarenfabrik arranged to issue its own emergency money.
Issuing offices
Engen municipality
Nominal: 20 billion marks
Printing: Ms. Eckerlein, Buchdruckerei, Engen; black, green, and pink-brown on white paper, no watermark; ~ 130 × 86 mm
Mintage: 500 pieces with a face value of 10 trillion marks
Issue: from November 8, 1923, 300 pieces with a face value of 6 billion marks
Front: xxxx * (control numbers 0001 to 0300, 4.5 mm, black) Notgeld der Stadt Engen Issue A / 20 Twenty billion marks 20 / the municipality Engen pays the consignor of this note. The Bezirks-Spar- u. Orphan Fund and the banks in Engen credit the consignor with the equivalent value at the expense of the city. After the circulation time, which is to be publicly announced, has been redeemed at the city treasury. / Engen, November 8, 1923. + The municipal council: / Without the official seal of the municipality of Engen, this certificate is invalid.0000
Back: 20 billion (vertical) + emergency money from the city of Engen im Hegau / Panorama of the city of Engen / Engen, Tengen, Blumenfeld are the most beautiful cities in the world. If it weren't for Engen, it wouldn't be for all three! - - / Ms. Eckerlein, Buchdruckerei, Engen. + 20 billion (vertical)
Confiscated: 151 units (50.3%) with a face value of 3.02 trillion marks
Nominal: 50 billion marks
Printing: Ms. Eckerlein, Buchdruckerei, Engen; on white paper, without watermark; ~ 130 × 86 mm
Mintage: 500 pieces with a face value of 25 billion marks
Issue: from November 8, 1923, 500 pieces with a face value of 25 billion marks
Front: black, yellow-brown and light green; Control numbers: 0001 to 0500
Back: ./.
Moved in:
Nominal: 50 billion marks
Printing: Ms. Eckerlein, Buchdruckerei, Engen; black, tan and yellow on white paper, no watermark; ~ 130 × 86 mm
Edition: 700 pieces with a face value of 35 billion marks
Issue: from November 8, 1923, 700 pieces with a face value of 35 billion marks
Front: xxxx * (control numbers 0501 to 1200) Emergency money from the city of Engen Issue A / 50 Fifty billion marks 50 / the city of Engen pays the consignor of this note. The Bezirks-Spar- u. Orphan Fund and the banks in Engen credit the consignor with the equivalent value at the expense of the city. After the circulation time, which is to be publicly announced, has been redeemed at the city treasury. / Engen, November 8, 1923. + The municipal council: / Without the official seal of the municipality of Engen, this certificate is invalid.0000
Back: 50 billion (vertical) + emergency money from the city of Engen im Hegau / Panorama of the city of Engen / Engen, Tengen, Blumenfeld are the most beautiful cities in the world. If it weren't for Engen, it wouldn't be for all three! - - / Ms. Eckerlein, Buchdruckerei, Engen. + 50 billion (vertical)
Nominal: 100 billion marks
Printing: Hegauer Buchdruckerei A.-G., Engen; black, gray-blue and gray-brown on white paper, without watermarks; ~ 142 × 90 mm
Mintage: 1400 pieces with a face value of 140 trillion marks
Issue: from November 8, 1923, 1400 pieces with a face value of 140 billion marks
Front: № xxxx (handstamped) Notgeld der Stadt Engen Issue A / Hundred Billion Marks /? / Engen im Hegau, November 8, 1923. / City seal (Ø 28.5 mm) / For the municipal council: / Signature of Mayor Max Knupfer / Hegauer Buchdruckerei A.-G., Engen0000
Back: ./.
Confiscated: 830 units (59.3%) with a face value of 83 trillion marks
Hegauer Steinwarenfabrik Engen
A total of 3,000 vouchers with a face value of 8.25 billion marks were issued.
Nominal: 500,000 marks
Printing: probably Hegauer Buchdruckerei A.-G., Engen; black on gray-green paper, some with factory watermark; ~ 145 × 112 mm
Mintage: 500 pieces with a face value of 250 million marks
Issue: August 25 to September 30, 1923 at the latest
Front: № xxxx (1001 to 1500) Mk. 500000 / GUTSCHEIN / Die Volksbank Engen e. G. (m.) Engen (Baden) credits the consignor with the equivalent of this voucher / five hundred thousand marks / at my expense . / Engen (Baden), August 25, 1923. / Hegauer Steinwarenfabrik Engen / Owner Kommerzienrath Gustav Prym / Signatures "Krüger" and ppa. "Strittmatter" / This voucher must be sent to the above bank by September 30, 1923 at the latest. Without a number and without the signatures of Mr. Krüger, the factory owner and the authorized signatory Strittmatter, this voucher is invalid.00
Back:?
Moved in: ?
Nominal: 1,000,000 marks
Printing: probably Hegauer Buchdruckerei A.-G., Engen; black on gray-blue paper, some with factory watermark; ~ 145 × 112 mm
Edition: 1000 pieces with a face value of 1 billion marks
Issue: August 25 to September 30, 1923 at the latest
Front: № xxxx (0001 to 500 and 0501 to 1000) Mk. 1000000 / GUTSCHEIN / Die Volksbank Engen e. G. (m.) Engen (Baden) credits the consignor with the equivalent of this voucher / one million marks / at my expense . / Engen (Baden), August 25, 1923. / Hegauer Steinwarenfabrik Engen / Owner Kommerzienrath Gustav Prym / Signatures “Krüger” and ppa. “Strittmatter” / This voucher must be sent to the above bank by September 30, 1923 at the latest. Without a number and without the signatures of Mr. Krüger, the factory owner and the authorized signatory Strittmatter, this voucher is invalid.00
Back:?
Moved in: ?
Nominal: 2,000,000 marks
Printing: probably Hegauer Buchdruckerei A.-G., Engen; black on gray-brown paper, some with factory watermark; ~ 145 × 112 mm
Mintage: 1000 pieces with a face value of 2 billion marks
Edition: August 31 to October 10, 1923 at the latest
Front: control numbers 1501 to 2500, black
Back:?
Moved in: ?
Nominal: 10,000,000 marks
Printing: probably Hegauer Buchdruckerei A.-G., Engen; black on light gray paper, some with factory watermark; ~ 145 × 112 mm
Mintage: 500 pieces with a face value of 5 billion marks
Edition: August 31 to October 10, 1923 at the latest
Front: control numbers 2501 to 3000, black
Back:?
Moved in: ?
literature
Dr. Jens-Uwe Rixen: Emergency money issues in the Baden Lake Constance area . In: HEGAU - magazine for history, folklore and natural history of the area between the Rhine, Danube and Lake Constance; Yearbook 1984/85 . Self-published by the Hegau history association Singen e. V. , Singen (Hohentwiel) September 1986.
Manfred Müller: German emergency money: The emergency money notes of German inflation: from August 1922 to June 1923 . 3. Edition. tape4 . Battenberg Gietl Verlag, Regenstauf 2010, ISBN 978-3-86646-534-3 .
