Bank.notes

Collection Germany #197

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20000000000 Reichsmark

Germany 1923 1900_1945 VF P-P-118a AI extracted ✦ AI 92%
Front · IMG_6443.jpeg cropped
Back · IMG_6444.jpeg cropped
Pair check: ! check failed checked 2026-05-09T09:55:28.029443
Identity

Where & when

Country Germany
Currency Reichsmark
Denomination 20000000000
Series name Third Hyperinflation Issue
Series year 1923
Issue year 1923
Era 1900_1945
Legal status demonetized
Predecessor currency Papiermark
Successor currency Rentenmark
Subjects & design

What's on the note

Front portrait
Reverse subject
Watermark Geometric pattern visible in clear field
Color palette #d4c5a0,#2f3d2d,#8b7355
Themes commemorative
Language / script Latin

Front: Reichsbanknote of Twenty Billion Mark issued during the peak of the Weimar Republic hyperinflation. The ornate Gothic 'Z' monogram at left is characteristic of the Third Hyperinflation series. The text states the note is redeemable at the Reichsbankhauptkasse in Berlin and can be exchanged for legal tender starting January 1, 1924. Dated September 1, 1923 in Berlin. Two Reichsbank seals with the Weimar eagle appear flanking four manuscript signatures of the Reichsbankdirektorium. Serial number 074171 and control code HM-11 at top right. Anti-counterfeiting warning at lower left.

Back: Plain green underprint design with ornamental guilloche patterns and circles. Text is minimal, typical of emergency hyperinflation issues where rapid printing was prioritized over elaborate design. The sparse reverse reflects the economic chaos of the period when denominations escalated daily.

Production

How it was made

Issuer Reichsbankhauptkasse Berlin
Issuer (native) Reichsbankhauptkasse
Printer Reichsdruckerei
Engraver
Material paper
Dimensions (mm) 180x115

Security features: microprint,intaglio

Geography

Germany in Europe

Germany in Europe. Other countries on the same continent shown in muted grey.

The story

Background & history

🎉 Commemorating German hyperinflation crisis of 1923.

This note belongs to the Third Hyperinflation Issue of 1923, during the catastrophic collapse of the German mark. By September 1923, when this note was issued, the Reichsbank was printing billion and trillion mark denominations daily to keep pace with hyperinflation that peaked at over 3 million percent per month. The series was issued from August 1923 through early 1924, until the introduction of the Rentenmark in November 1923 and later the Reichsmark stabilized the currency. These notes were demonetized on August 30, 1924. The rapid devaluation required the Reichsdruckerei to print notes in astronomical denominations, making this twenty billion mark note a significant historical artifact of one of the most severe monetary crises in modern history.

Catalogue

Collector references

Pick # P-118a
Krause ID
Rarity tier common
Commemorative Yes
Series range 1923–1924
Provenance

How it came to me

Acquired date
Acquired from
Acquired price
Currency
Condition
Grade VF
Serial number 074171
Serial suffix HM-11

Note shows moderate circulation with some soiling and edge wear. Center fold present. No major tears or missing pieces. Text and seals remain legible.

Valuation

What it's worth now

$10–$30
Type default range $10–$30
Valuation history (1)
datelowhighcurrencysourcenote
2026-05-08 17:15:43 10.0 30.0 USD ai from claude-sonnet-4-5
Technical

History & extractions

AI extractions (1)
anthropic · claude-sonnet-4-5 2026-05-08 17:15:43
status: ok · step 1 · $0.0372 · 6285↓ + 1223↑ tokens
Edits & decisions (1)
confirm_ok 2026-05-10 08:36:07
confirmed_ok: False → True
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