Notgeld (emergency money)

On this paper money a tax official is shown asking Deutscher Michel (the personification of Germany) for money. The message reads, ‘The money must be taken from the people, you can't shake it from the trees.’ The role of the state in the levying and collection of taxes is central to the public’s relationship with government.

Notgeld or ‘emergency money’ first appeared in Germany in 1914. Issues of paper money came from unofficial sources and attempted to fill the void created by a lack of coinage. As silver prices rose, coins were removed from circulation and hoarded by the public. As more metal was required for war, an even greater number of coins were removed from circulation. In fact after 1916 there were no further copper coins minted and these low denomination notes became widespread, and importantly, not just for their monetary function.

The notes, issued by various groups including local banks, cities and businesses became highly collectible. The great variety of designs meant that they were still being collected and issued a number of years after they were economically useful. Designs would often be incredibly colourful and include well known landmarks, heraldry, local tales or in this case, social commentary.
This humorous note image depicts a man tightening his belt and showing his empty pockets whilst a tax official is shown holding a large account book and with his outstretched arm, asking for payment. The inscription below reads, ‘Dat Geld mot man vandei Liie nahmen Van dei Bome schiidden Kann Man’t nich’ which translates as ‘The money must taken from the people, you can't shake it from the trees.’

This inscription on the back, ‘Dieser Schein verliert seine Gultigkeit ein monat noch offentlichem Aufruf’ denotes that the bill loses its value one month after issue, a statement which was included to ensure the note would be spent quickly.

Whilst states tried to prohibit the issue of Notgeld others had a practice of ‘tacit toleration’ and allowed the issuing of notes but only by large cities.