10 Pfennig Papiermark #209

Front

The municipal coat of arms of Rastenberg, Thuringia, featuring a crowned shield with ornate baroque flourishes. The shield depicts a town gate with a crab (cancer/Krabbe) above it, representing the town's name etymology and heraldic device. The banner above reads text identifying the issuing authority. The town silhouette at top shows Rastenberg's skyline with church spire and buildings. Gothic blackletter text at bottom reads 'Notgeld der Stadt Rastenberg' (Emergency money of the City of Rastenberg) with validity dates.

Back

The reverse displays the municipal coat of arms of Rastenberg in simplified form, showing a town gate with a crab above it within a shield. The gate is depicted in silhouette with classical columns on either side. Text 'Pfennig Notgeld der Stadt Rastenberg' (Pfennig emergency money of the City of Rastenberg) frames the design on both sides. The crab is a heraldic reference to the town's name.

History

This is a Notgeld (emergency money) note issued by the city of Rastenberg in Thuringia during the early Weimar Republic hyperinflation period. Notgeld was locally issued scrip produced by German municipalities, businesses, and institutions between 1914–1924 due to shortages of official currency. The 1921 issues were among the most common as inflation accelerated. Rastenberg's notes featured the town's distinctive heraldic crab (Krabbe/cancer), which appears in its coat of arms as a play on the town name. These small-denomination notes were typically printed in series with artistic designs celebrating local history and identity. Most Notgeld was demonetized by 1923 when the Rentenmark was introduced to stabilize the currency.