During the first world war and the ensuing economic crisis, many German towns issued notgeld, or emergency money, to combat cash shortages.
The designs range from local fairytales and legends to political messages. “The nicer a note, the more it drew collectors, so towns tried to make them as ornate, funny or clever as possible,” says Johannes Hartmann, curator of an exhibition of the notes at the British Museum.
Currency in Crisis is at the British Museum, London, 3 October-29 March 2020
