50 Pfennig Schöppenstedt notgeld

This notgeld is from Schöppenstedt and has the value of 50 Pfennig. It is number six in a series of ten Notgeld exploring folklore about Schöppenstedt, and shows a group of three men wearing black robes and wigs, they are on the right hand side in the foreground. On the left, a bull is being hanged, while lots of people are standing beneath. This seems to relate to a widespread tradition of stories of foolish people relating to various different regions. This image relates to a story (similar to one told about the citizens of Schilda) of the citizens hauling a cow up the side of the church in order for it to eat the beautiful grass growing up the wall of the church, resulting in the cow dying from hanging. This is one of sixty notgeld or 'emergency money' banknotes in the reference collection of packaging material which belonged to the designer Charles Hasler. Notgeld were produced by German towns, villages and municipalities from the end of the First World War until the mid 1920s, when the state bank (the Reichsbank), struggled with wartime metal shortages and post- war hyperinflation. The highly decorative notes soon became collectors items - and still remain to this day. They are double-sided and printed with their monetary value, information about the village, town or province of issue and some colourful illustration.