20000000000 Reichsmark #179

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.

History

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.